Red light cameras could be returning to 10 Phoenix intersections

PHOENIX — Red light cameras are on track to return to Phoenix due to a vote from the City Council on Tuesday.

It’s part of the Automated Enforcement Safety Program, which city leaders discussed during the the Phoenix City Council Policy Session on Tuesday.

This program seeks to create safer streets, change driver behavior, reduce speeding and red light running and lower traffic-related fatalities.

It’s also a rerun of previous city policies. The program, which started in 2001, had 12 intersections with cameras that caught drivers by the time it ended in 2019.

Officials with the Phoenix Street Transportation Department recommended the city issue a request for proposal by spring of 2025.

They want there to be 10 fixed cameras to be placed in intersections they’ll determine based on crash data.

Furthermore, police and the street department want to release data reports to make sure the cameras are optimally placed, according to Street Transportation Director Brandy Kelso.

“We anticipate that the potential Automated Enforcement Safety Program could be operational by fall of 2025.” Kelso told the Council.

What’s the history of red light cameras in Phoenix?

It’s not rare to see drivers running red lights in Phoenix.

In fact, the city is the No. 1 in the nation for red light running, according to Phoenix City Councilwoman Ann O’Brien.

“Phoenix accounts for 19 of the top 20 worst intersections,” O’Brien said in a Tuesday press release. “To drive the point home, we have 28 of the top 30 worst intersections.”

The city has addressed the issue with red light cameras in the past. However, the city staff voted not to renew them in 2019.

Tuesday’s 7-1 vote to approve the plan to install the cameras in dangerous intersections is moving the safety plan forward.

“At a time when we are down almost 600 officers, we no longer have the manpower to patrol the streets for traffic enforcement as we have been able to do in the past,” O’Brien said. “Utilizing these instruments and technology are just another tool in our toolbox to ensure our roads are safe for everyone to drive, bike ride, or cross at the intersections.”

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