Baker Institute expert on red-light cameras available to comment about Houston City Council

Franz Brotzen
713-348-6775
franz.brotzen@rice.edu

Baker Institute expert on red-light cameras available to comment about Houston City Council’s upcoming debate

Houston City Council is scheduled to debate the use of red-light cameras at its weekly session Wednesday. Rice University political scientist Robert Stein is available to discuss the issues surrounding the installation of cameras at intersections across Houston to monitor compliance with traffic laws.

Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science at Rice University and a fellow in urban politics at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, authored a study on the effectiveness of red-light cameras in reducing traffic accidents. Published by the Baker Institute Aug. 12, the study found that cameras cut the number of accidents by almost 30 percent per camera. To read the paper, go to http://www.bakerinstitute.org/publications/POL-pub-SteinRedLightCameras-081511.pdf/view.

“We find that intersections with one camera benefit from reduced collisions only on the approach facing the camera,” Stein said, “whereas those with two or more cameras see reduced collisions from all approaches.”

The study was funded by Rice University and the Baker Institute.

To speak with Stein, contact Franz Brotzen at 713-348-6775 or franz.brotzen@rice.edu.