By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Richmond is expanding its Safety Camera Program to include red-light enforcement at 10 high-risk intersections this fall. The program already covers speed cameras in school zones and is part of the city’s broader push to reduce crashes.
Construction will start at East Main and 25th streets at the end of September, before cameras are added at the other locations.
Drivers will get a 30-day grace period at each intersection before $50 fines begin.
Signs will be posted ahead of time, and once active, the cameras will monitor intersections 24 hours a day.
Police Chief Rick Edwards said the focus is on one of the most common causes of wrecks.
“Failing to stop at red lights is dangerous behavior that leads to serious injuries and tragic fatalities,” Edwards said. “These cameras will hopefully reduce collisions at these intersections, leading to safer roadways for all in Richmond.”
The city recorded more than 12,700 crashes and 67 traffic fatalities over the past three years, according to Richmond’s Vision Zero Dashboard.
So far in 2025, there have been 1,142 crashes, leaving 550 people injured and six dead.
The city selected intersections for the 10 pilot locations based on crash patterns and violation data, according to the city.
Sites include Belvidere and Cary streets, Brookland Park Boulevard and Chamberlayne Avenue, Mechanicsville Turnpike and Fairfield Way, Hull Street and Cowardin Avenue, and Hull Street and Warwick Road, among others.
According to the City of Richmond, citing the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, red-light running caused more than 1,000 deaths and 100,000 injuries nationwide in 2022. The city noted that other communities with similar programs have seen a decline in red-light crashes of up to 21%.
Richmond officials say the expansion builds on the school-zone safety cameras already in use at 13 locations.
The combined effort is part of the city’s Vision Zero strategy, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths.
