600 Red Light Cameras Reach NYC Intersections: What To Know

NEW YORK CITY— The City has installed red light cameras at 600 intersections across the five boroughs, reaching the maximum number allowed under state law and expanding automated enforcement aimed at preventing crashes and injuries.

The cameras photograph vehicles that run red lights and help officials enforce traffic signals without requiring a police officer at every intersection.

Drivers who receive violations can face fines, while the program seeks to discourage repeat offenses.

Red light running contributed to 22 percent of fatal crashes at city intersections from 2023 through 2025, according to New York City Department of Transportation data.

At intersections with red light cameras, violations for running red lights have fallen by more than 80 percent.

Injuries from rear-end crashes have dropped nearly 60 percent, while injuries from T-bone collisions have declined 70 percent since camera installation, according to the department.

“Safer streets aren’t a guessing game — we know the tools proven to keep New Yorkers safe,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

Who Gets Red Light Camera Tickets?

Most drivers caught by the cameras receive relatively few violations.

In 2025, 95 percent of vehicles cited for running red lights received no more than one or two violations, while fewer than 0.7 percent received five or more, according to the transportation department.

Vehicles registered outside New York City account for roughly 39 percent of red light camera violations.

The department selects camera locations based in part on histories of T-bone crashes and injuries caused by drivers running red lights.

Officials also combine automated enforcement with street redesigns and other safety measures.

Could New York City Add More Cameras?

The City has reached the current limit under state law, but transportation safety advocates want Albany to authorize another expansion.

In 2024, state lawmakers approved legislation increasing the number of red light cameras the city could operate to 600 intersections.

Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, said the state Legislature could revisit the program in its 2027 session.

More than 10,000 signalized intersections across New York City still lack red light cameras, according to Furnas.

The program forms part of the city's broader Vision Zero effort to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries through street design, speed enforcement and other safety measures.