Richmond expands cameras after nearly 16K red-light runs

Driving the news: Cameras at three more Richmond intersections have been installed and will be fully operational this month, all in South Richmond, the city announced last week.

A 30-day warning period will begin once they turn on at:

• Hull Street and Cowardin Avenue in Manchester.
• Commerce Road at Maury Street in Manchester.
• Hull Street and Warwick Road, further west into South Richmond.

Zoom in: After that, red-light runners will be mailed a $50 citation, as they are at the four that turned on earlier this year north of the river.

• The city's first wave of cameras — at 25th and Main in Shockoe Bottom, Belvidere and Cary by VCU, and on Chamberlayne at Brookland Park and Laburnum in Northside — went up in February.

Stunning stat: Since then, drivers were caught running red lights 15,903 times at those four intersections through April 29, per the city. Those intersections also see significant pedestrian traffic.

What they're saying: "Every red light run is a preventable tragedy in the making," city transportation director Andy Boenau said in a statement.

What's next: Three more red lights are in the works for Mechanicsville Turnpike and Fairfield Way, Belt Boulevard and Hull, and German School and Midlothian.