Interactive Map Allows Comparisons of the Nation's Traffic Camera Systems

Sarak Kliff and Soo Oh report on the work of Jonathan Melby and Angela Buffington, who since 2006 have gathered and maintained a massive database of all of the red light cameras and speed cameras in North America. "This database now has 3,699 red light cameras and 1,413 speed cameras — although that could change as the list is updated each week," according to Kliff and Oh.

Kliff and Oh used the database to produce an interactive map of each of those cameras, which allows users to compare each city's traffic cameras. The article accompanying the map also includes thoughts and insights Melby and Buffington about the process of maintaining the database. For instance, the database reveals Washington, D.C. to have the most traffic cameras in the country. Melby and Buffington also report some of the characteristics of camera systems in cities like New York and Phoenix.