Give us more red-light cams, city begs state

City transportation officials are asking Albany pols to expand New York City’s red-light camera program, which is set to end this year as fatalities from light-running reach a record high.

Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez rallied with advocates and local elected officials Thursday in support of a bill that would reup the program and allow the city to expand it to more intersections.

“Each year there are unfortunately far too many fatalities involving red-light running,” Rodriguez said. “In 2023, 29 people were killed in red-light-running crashes. That’s the worst annual total we have recorded.”

Each of those fatal crashes took place at an intersection without a red-light camera, Rodriguez added.

“We have the tools to prevent this,” he said. “We know what works.”

“If we don’t act this year, our red-light camera program will expire right as we are seeing troubling numbers for red-light-running deaths,” Rodriguez said.

State law currently limits New York City to 150 red-light cameras across the five boroughs, an authorization that is set to expire at the end of the year.

A bill currently before the state Legislature would reauthorize the cameras through 2030 and expand the program to 1,325 intersections — about 10% of the roughly 13,700 intersections with traffic signals citywide.

DOT officials say the program reduces red-light recidivism. According to the department’s data, 94% of drivers caught running reds by camera rack up two or fewer violations.

“Who wants to defend peoples’ right to run red lights without being penalized?” asked state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens), sponsor of a bill that would suspend the registration of any vehicle caught running five red lights in 12 months.

“Nobody,” he said. Thursday’s rally was held at the intersection of Second Ave. and E. 97th St. on the border of East Harlem and the Upper East Side, where delivery worker Ernesto Guzman was killed in 2020 by a driver who ran a red.

Fellow deliverista Sergio Solano spoke at the rally, calling on lawmakers to expand the camera program.

“I spoke with [Guzman’s] family last night,” Solano said. “They’re still waiting for justice.”

“That’s why I’m here today,” he said. “Thank you for these cameras — maybe they’ll work for other people.”