New York City officially has the green light to expand red light cameras throughout the Big Apple, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday.
Hochul announced the implementation of new laws to create the most significant expansion of red light cameras in NYC history. By 2027, the number of intersections in the city with red-light cameras will increase from 150 to 600 — though it is not clear yet which intersections will get new shutterbug surveillance.
Hochul implemented the expansion citing ongoing traffic safety concerns.
“The safety of all New Yorkers is my top priority and we know that red light camera programs are effective in protecting New Yorkers from dangerous drivers,” the governor said. “Today I am extending the authorization of programs across New York and establishing an additional program to maintain our progress on traffic safety, while creating new protections for school-aged children on the road.”
The new law also expands or creates new red light camera programs in other parts of NYS, including nearby Nassau County.
Blowing through red lights: The grim statistics
NYC saw 29 deaths in 2023 related to drivers who run red lights — more than double the annual average of the previous decade, according to a 2024 report from the city’s Red Light Camera Program Review.
The historic expansion follows urging by NYC officials, including Mayor Eric Adams, to reauthorize and expand the traffic program. If not for Hochul’s signature, the city’s red light cameras would have been turned off by the end of 2024.
Brooklyn state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, who sponsored the bill to expand red light cameras around the city, said red light cameras save lives.
“The logic is simple: most drivers don’t run red lights. And those drivers, along with everyone else, are safer when the ones who do are held accountable,” he said. “That’s why I passed legislation to increase the number of cameras to 600 intersections citywide. Three decades of data makes it clear: red light cameras reduce crashes and save lives.”
Red light cameras were first used under Mayor David Dinkins in the early 1990s.
It is unclear right now which of the city’s nearly 14,000 intersections will get new cameras.
Despite the city’s report on the effectiveness of red light cameras, some special interest groups say the cameras can “make our roads less safe” and does not stop or lessen reckless driving.
“Despite the claims of companies that sell ticket cameras and provide related services, there is no independent verification that photo enforcement devices improve highway safety, reduce overall accidents, or improve traffic flow, the National Motorists Association includes in its fact sheet. “Believing the claims of companies that sell photo enforcement equipment or municipalities that use this equipment is like believing any commercial produced by a company that is trying to sell you something.”
Red light camera violations brought into the city just over $20 million in revenue last year, according to city data.
Speeding in parking lots
The new laws also expand the reckless driving statute to include parking lots, something Queens state Sen. John Liu, another sponsor of the legislation, said has “plagued” New Yorkers.
“Car takeovers in parking lots, where drivers engage in reckless speeding, donuts and burnouts, has long plagued residents of New York,” Liu said. “Our bill gives law enforcement greater ability to react quickly and decisively when these dangerous popup takeovers arise so that those responsible face consequences for endangering public safety.”
The state defines parking lots as private property with capacity for four or more cars, contiguous to premises and a roadway, parking lots adjacent to one– or two-family residences are exempt.
