Chicago Red Light Cameras Making Streets Safer, Study Finds

A Northwestern University study found that Chicagoans ran fewer red lights after cameras were installed, even at intersections that don't have cameras.

1 minute read

March 23, 2017, 12:00 PM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Red Light Camera

Nicholas Eckhart / Flickr

Because of its troubled start, the red light cameras program in Chicago has been the subject of a study from Northwestern University. The study found that cameras do improve safety at intersections with cameras. "In addition to the overall finding that injury crashes dropped by 10 percent thanks to the cams, the study found that while rear-end crashes increased by 14 percent at intersections where cameras were installed, consistent with other cities, the more dangerous T-bone and/or turning crashes decreased by 19 percent," John Greenfield reports for Streetsblog Chicago. The study also found an additional benefit, "a never-before-documented 'spillover effect' that is also resulting in less red light running at intersections that don’t have the cams," Greenfield writes. The authors of the study found that fear of cameras works as a deterrent for drivers who may not know which intersections have cameras.

Shortly after Rahm Emanuel's government installed red light cameras, a massive bribery scheme was uncovered that sent one city official to jail on a ten-year sentence. The program was a big issue in the mayoral campaign for Emanuel’s reelection, with challenger Chuy Garcia vowing to remove the cameras. This study was undertaken, in part, to get an independent perspective on the cameras and gauge their impact on the city.  

Monday, March 20, 2017 in Chi.Streetsblog

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight