January 12, 2026 NEW YORK — If you’ve been treating yellow lights like a personal challenge, your luck just ran out.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) dropped a bombshell on Friday, announcing a scorched-earth expansion of the city's red light camera program. Over the next six weeks, a staggering 250 new cameras will be switched on across the Big Apple—part of a massive rollout that will see 600 active cameras stalking city intersections by the end of the year.

From 150 to 600: The "Invisible" Wall Has Fallen

For years, the city’s hands were tied. A decades-old state law capped the number of red light cameras at a mere 150 intersections, leaving the vast majority of the city’s 13,000+ signalized crossings unmonitored.

That changed in late 2024 when Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law green-lighting a 300% increase in the city's enforcement power. After a year of "silence" in 2025—which the DOT attributes to contract negotiations and hardware upgrades—the floodgates are officially open.

The "50-A-Week" Surge

Starting immediately, the DOT is on a war footing, activating 50 new cameras every seven days. By the time the spring thaw hits, the city will have more eyes on the road than ever before in its history.

"Red light running is one of the most dangerous behaviors on our city’s streets," DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn warned. "We are taking immediate action to ramp up."

Where Are the Cameras? (The $50 Question)

If you're looking for a map to avoid the "ticket zones," you're out of luck. The DOT is keeping the exact locations of the 450 new units a top-secret state secret.

A spokesperson confirmed the agency will not disclose where the new lenses are mounted, claiming that transparency would "undermine the effectiveness" of the program. In other words: Assume every light is watching.

The Data: Why the City is Doubling Down

While drivers may view this as a cash grab, the DOT points to three decades of data that paint a different picture. According to the agency, intersections equipped with these cameras have seen:

The "One and Done" Effect

State Senator Andrew Gounardes, the man who sponsored the expansion, argues that the $50 fine isn't just a penalty—it's a behavior modifier. Data from 2023 shows that 94% of drivers caught by a camera never received more than two violations. Only a tiny fraction—less than 0.5%—were "super-offenders" with five or more tickets.

"The reality is, most drivers don’t run red lights," Gounardes said. "But those drivers, along with everyone else, are safer when the ones who do are held accountable."

Bottom Line for Drivers

The era of "beating the light" is effectively over in New York City. With 600 cameras looming by December, the odds of a $50 surprise in your mailbox have never been higher.

Do you think 600 cameras are enough to stop reckless driving, or is this just another way to tax New Yorkers? Let us know in the comments.