Photo radar cameras at 14 Tempe intersections will be activated this spring, and soon after authorities will be issuing traffic tickets for speeding and running red lights, police said.

In the first month, drivers who receive a photo-enforcement citation will be issued a warning with no fine. After that, citations will need to be addressed through payment or court services, according to city officials.

The cameras will be at:

• Baseline Road and Rural Road.
• Baseline Road and Mill Avenue.
• Southern Avenue and Mill Avenue.
• Warner Road and McClintock Drive.
• Guadalupe Road and McClintock Drive.
• University Drive and McClintock Drive.
• Broadway Road and McClintock Drive.
• Broadway Road and Rural Road.
• Elliot Road and Rural Road.
• Elliot Road and Kyrene Road.
• University Drive and Priest Drive.
• Curry Road and Scottsdale Road.
• Rio Salado Parkway and Rural/Scottsdale Road.
• 48th Street and Broadway Road.

U.S. Department of Transportation studies have found the cameras can reduce crashes by more than 50%, according to the Tempe Police Department’s March newsletter.

A study from Lee Engineering found that speed-related crashes fell by 65% at Scottsdale’s intersections with photo enforcement cameras. Overall, collisions dropped by about 23%, the newsletter stated. 

Generally, city officials said, the 14 photo-enforcement locations were selected based upon:

• Only major arterial to arterial intersections with signals were considered.
• Intersections that showed at least three serious or fatal crashes in the period between 2018 and 2022.
• Intersections with the highest crash rates per 10,000 vehicles.
• Intersections with the greatest disparity between posted speed limits and documented speeds of a majority of vehicles traveling through.

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