In January of this year, the New Jersey Legislature passed a bill allowing municipalities to join a pilot program that will install red light cameras at key intersections throughout the state. Taking an important step forward, NJDOT announced last week that Newark will be one of several municipalities participating in the five-year pilot program.

Here’s how it works: the cameras take pictures of vehicles that run red lights and then, after a review, police issue tickets to the registered owner. Despite initial opposition, red-light cameras have worked in other areas of the region, such as NYC. In 2004, NYCDOT found that intersections with red-light cameras saw a 10% overall reduction in collision-related injuries and a 19% decline in pedestrian injuries over six years (see MTR # 464). According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, New Jersey is one of 25 states to use the cameras.

First in line for the new technology is the intersection of Broad Street and Raymond Boulevard. Seeing more than 45,000 vehicles per day, the intersection is one of Newark’s busiest. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most dangerous. In the last seven years the intersection has also seen 110 accidents – 30 percent of them fatal. The cameras are actually one piece of a larger effort to improve the junction, which is slated for other safety improvements such as a center median, new sidewalks, and street light poles, thanks to the City’s Broad Street Streetscaping Project. While the Broad Street intersection should be operational by early spring 2009, the City is also seeking approval for 21 other intersections.