Some US cities have begun rewarding careful drivers with fewer red lights
Albuquerque says crashes and injuries fell on one corridor, while Portland reported speeds dropped from 39 mph to 30 mph at a test intersection.
- Albuquerque and Portland have implemented 'rest in red' systems that reward drivers traveling at the speed limit with earlier green lights, a strategy designed to curb high-speed traffic on dangerous corridors.
- Unlike traditional speed cameras, this method keeps traffic signals red by default until vehicles approach. Albuquerque deployed the system on Lead and Coal avenues, while Portland recently launched it on Southeast Powell Boulevard.
- At a tested Portland intersection, the technology lowered average speeds from 39 mph to 30 mph, the posted limit. Albuquerque resident Isaac Romero said the change has significantly reduced reckless driving near his home.
- Transportation engineering professor David Hurwitz noted the strategy 'seems like it has potential,' though he cautioned that further research is needed to ensure gains aren't offset by negative consequences.
- Jay Beeber, chief government affairs officer for the National Motorists Association, questioned whether driver behavior can change without broad education campaigns. Cities like Boulder, Colorado, and Long Beach, California, have experimented with similar targeted efforts.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Some US cities have begun rewarding careful drivers with fewer red lig
Officials struggled for years to curb high-speed crashes along a residential corridor cutting through Albuquerque, New Mexico, but simply punishing the lead-footed drivers didn’t seem to work. What ultimately did was rewarding the law-abiding ones with fewer
Associated Press News
Some US cities have begun rewarding careful drivers with fewer red lights
Two cities have found a relatively novel way to reduce high-speed crashes by rewarding law-abiding drivers rather than just punishing the lead-footed ones.
U.S. Cities Incentivize Safe Driving with Reduced Red Light Stops
NewsFinale NewsFinale Journal For years, Albuquerque, New Mexico, battled relentless high-speed crashes along a key residential route. Traditional approaches, primarily punishing speeders, seemed ineffective in controlling the hazardous speeding. The breakthrough came from an unconventional approach: incentivizing lawful drivers by minimizing their encounters with red lights. The city attributes a significant decrease in accidents and injuries t…
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