Press Releases
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2024
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov
NYC DOT Commissioner Rodriguez Heads to Albany Amidst Urgent Need for Legislature to Renew and Expand City’s Red Light Camera Program
Last year, red light running killed a record-high 29 people in New York City, all in locations without a red light camera
Red light running is down 73 percent at intersections with cameras, but cameras are authorized at just 1 percent of intersections
Without action from Albany, the program will end this year
New York – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez is headed to Albany today amidst an urgent need for the legislature to renew and expand New York City's red light camera program. Last year, red light running killed a record-high 29 people in New York City. All of these fatalities occurred at locations with no red light camera present. Intersections with red light cameras have experienced a 73 percent decline in red light running, but state law only allows them at 1 percent of the city's 13,700 signalized intersections. That is why Commissioner Rodriguez will meet with legislators today to advocate for the renewal and expansion of the program to 10 percent of signalized intersections in New York City.
Commissioner Rodriguez is also advocating for legislation that would require the State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to automatically suspend the vehicle registrations of the small number of offenders who receive five or more red light camera violations in a 12-month period. Drivers with five or more red light camera violations are three times more likely to be in a crash that causes injuries. Since the start of the pandemic, red light running and other dangerous driving behaviors have increased. Together, these bills would help curb this alarming trend across New York City.
"Plain and simple: red light cameras save lives. Red light running is down 73 percent at locations with cameras, but state law only allows them at 1 percent of intersections," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "Last year, a record 29 people were killed by red light running, and all of these deaths occurred at intersections without red light cameras. That is why we need our partners in Albany to not just renew this law before it expires, but also expand it."
Red Light Camera Renewal and Expansion
According to NYC DOT's recent Red Light Camera Report, the red-light camera program has yielded significant safety results over its 30 years in operation. In addition to a 73 percent decline in red light running, intersections with red light cameras saw injury-causing T-bone collisions decline 65 percent, and rear-end collisions drop 49 percent. The program has also changed driver behavior and deterred repeat offenders; in 2023, 94 percent of vehicles caught running a red light received no more than one or two violations. Fewer than 0.5 percent of vehicles received five or more violations.
Limits of Current Program
Despite these safety gains, the red-light camera program is too limited to serve as a wider deterrent against reckless and dangerous red light running. Current state law limits these cameras to operating at no more than 150 locations at a given time—or 1 percent of the city's more than 13,700 signalized intersections. Without state legislative action, that law will expire at the end of this year.
With these restrictions, New York City is handcuffed in its ability to use this life-saving tool to address a recent spike in red light running. In 2023, 29 people were killed in red light running crashes—the worst annual total ever recorded and more than double the average annual total of such deaths from the previous decade—all at intersections without red light cameras.
To counter these trends, NYC DOT will work with legislators in Albany to pass legislation sponsored by State Senator Andrew Gounardes (S2812) and Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz (A5259), which would reauthorize the program through December 1, 2030, and expand the number of locations to 1,325, or about 10 percent of signalized intersections.
Crack Down on Reckless Driving
Even while most drivers change their behavior after one or two violations, a small group of repeat offenders are not deterred by repeated fines alone. These major violators pose a serious risk to themselves and their fellow New Yorkers and more substantial penalties are needed to ensure that they are removed from the roadways. In 2023, about 2,400 vehicles received five or more red light camera violations in a 12-month period. Research has shown that receiving five red light camera violations triples a driver's risk of being involved in a crash that causes injury.
To address this dangerous recidivism and get reckless drivers off our streets, NYC DOT is supporting legislation from State Senator Michael Gianaris (S451) and Assemblymember William Magnarelli (A7621) that would authorize the DMV to suspend the registrations for vehicles that get five or more red light camera violations in a 12-month period.
Passage of Sammy's Law
The Adams administration recently celebrated passage of Sammy's Law, a key piece of street safety legislation that was part of the administration's state legislative agenda. Signed by Governor Kathy Hochul last month, the law will allow the city council to reduce the citywide speed limit from 25 MPH to 20 MPH and empowers NYC DOT to reduce speed limits on select streets. Sammy's Law will go into effect on June 19, 2024.