State puts hold on red-light cameras through next year

The 76 red-light cameras that are in place at highway intersections in New Jersey will remain the only ones, at least through 2014.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on April 18 that no new locations will be added to the list of authorized red-light camera intersections because there would not be sufficient time to gather useful data under the pilot program that is scheduled to end in December 2014.

A minimum of two years of statistical data at each intersection is necessary to determine the cameras’ overall worth, according to the DOT.

Safety engineers with the DOT will continue to gather data from the current roster of operational cameras before making a recommendation on the effectiveness of redlight cameras, according to a press release.

While many municipalities have expressed interest in participating in the pilot program and have submitted applications for specific intersections, the DOT said none will be considered.

The red-light camera pilot program, launched in 2009, aims to determine whether the cameras promote safety by reducing the frequency and severity of crashes at intersections that have a history of motorists running red lights. The law requires the DOT to annually provide the Legislature with a report on crash statistics and trends for intersections where cameras are operating.

A report issued last year, based on 24 of the red-light intersections, revealed that the number of crashes increased by slightly less than 1 percent — from 577 the year before the cameras were in place, to 582 in their first year. Broadside or right-angle crashes, which tend to be more severe, were down 15 percent, from 60 to 51. Same-direction or rear-end crashes increased 20 percent, from 286 to 343.

Citations issued at red-light camera intersections, ranging from $85 to $140, dropped 85 percent between the first and 24th months of the cameras, apparently as drivers became more aware of the operation.

In Middlesex County, cameras are located at three intersections along Route 1 in Edison; at Route 18 and Tices Lane in East Brunswick; at three intersections along Route 1, and another on Route 184 in Woodbridge; at Easton Avenue and Park Boulevard in New Brunswick; and at six locations in Piscataway. In Ocean County, three cameras are operational in Brick Township. Monmouth County has no redlight cameras.