Some U.S. Cities Reward Careful Drivers With Fewer Red Lights — Here's How It Works

SUMMARY

Some U.S. cities are testing a different approach to road safety: instead of only punishing speeding drivers, traffic signals can reward motorists who stay at or below the speed limit with earlier green lights. Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Portland, Oregon, are among the cities experimenting with versions of the “rest in red” system. Early results are encouraging, including a drop in average speed at a Portland test intersection from 39 mph to 30 mph. The approach is designed to reduce speeding and crashes while encouraging drivers to maintain a steady, legal speed.

THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS THAT REWARD SAFE DRIVING — Imagine driving through a city where obeying the speed limit does more than keep you away from a speeding ticket.

Instead, driving at the correct speed could help you get through a series of traffic lights without stopping.

That is the idea behind a traffic-management strategy being tested in several U.S. cities.

The system is known as “rest in red.”

Rather than keeping traffic lights green for vehicles travelling down a road, the signals can remain red until a vehicle approaches.

In newer versions being tested in cities such as Albuquerque and Portland, speed sensors can determine how fast approaching vehicles are travelling.

Drivers travelling at or below the posted speed limit can receive a much earlier green light.

Speeders, meanwhile, may arrive at the intersection while the signal is still red.

Albuquerque Is Testing the Idea

Albuquerque, New Mexico, has implemented the approach along Lead and Coal avenues, two parallel one-way streets that had experienced problems with high-speed driving and crashes.

City officials say the system has contributed to a dramatic reduction in crashes and injuries along the corridor.

The basic message to drivers is straightforward:

Drive at the speed limit and the traffic lights can work with you. Drive too fast and you are more likely to stop.

That turns the traffic signal into something closer to a behavioural tool rather than simply a device for managing traffic flow.

Why Cities Are Trying Something Different

Speeding has traditionally been addressed through enforcement.

Police officers can issue tickets.

Speed cameras can record violations.

Authorities can increase fines or launch public-awareness campaigns.

But those approaches do not necessarily change the behaviour of every driver.

The rest-in-red concept takes a different approach.

Instead of relying entirely on punishment, it creates an immediate incentive for drivers to slow down.

The reward is simple: fewer stops.

Portland Calls It a “Virtual Speed Bump”

Portland, Oregon, has also introduced the system on Southeast Powell Boulevard during late-night hours.

The road is a busy state highway with a history of serious crashes, including fatal collisions.

Peter Koonce, who manages signals and street lighting for Portland, has described the system as a “virtual speed bump.”

The early numbers suggest why.

At the first intersection tested, the average vehicle speed reportedly fell from about 39 mph to 30 mph — exactly the posted speed limit.

That represents a substantial change in driver behaviour.

Instead of forcing vehicles to physically slow down through road construction or traditional speed bumps, the traffic signal itself becomes part of the speed-control system.

How the System Works

The concept is relatively simple.

A traffic signal normally operates according to a programmed timing sequence.

Under rest in red, the signal can remain red when there is no vehicle approaching.

When a vehicle approaches, sensors detect it.

In systems using speed detection, the technology can determine whether the vehicle is travelling within the desired speed range.

A driver travelling at the speed limit can then receive a faster green signal.

A driver travelling significantly faster may have to wait.

The goal is not necessarily to catch the speeding driver.

The goal is to make speeding less attractive.

The “Green Wave” Effect

The strategy can produce something drivers often appreciate: a smooth sequence of green lights.

If motorists maintain the appropriate speed, they can potentially move through multiple intersections without repeatedly stopping.

That creates a powerful psychological incentive.

The driver does not have to think only about avoiding a fine.

There is a direct benefit to obeying the speed limit.

In Albuquerque, residents have reported noticing a significant change in the behaviour of drivers using the affected corridor.

Residents who previously heard vehicles racing through the area say there are now fewer cars speeding through the streets.

One Speeder Can Affect Everyone

There is an important weakness in the system, however.

A single speeding driver can potentially affect other motorists.

If several vehicles are travelling at the correct speed but one vehicle is moving too quickly, the traffic signal can respond to the speeding vehicle.

That means everyone travelling behind it could end up waiting at the red light.

This creates an unusual form of social pressure.

Drivers have an incentive not only to drive safely for themselves but also to avoid disrupting the traffic flow for everyone else.

Evidence From North Carolina

The concept is not entirely new.

A 2023 study involving five rural and urban roads in North Carolina found a 43% reduction in total crashes after a version of rest in red was implemented around the clock.

That system was different from the newer Albuquerque and Portland approaches because it did not use speed sensors to give compliant drivers an earlier green.

Instead, the signals remained red until vehicles approached, naturally encouraging drivers to slow down.

The result has attracted attention from transportation officials interested in alternative methods of reducing crashes.

Researchers Say More Study Is Needed

Early results are promising, but researchers are warning against declaring victory too soon.

Oregon State University researchers are studying Portland's implementation and evaluating how the technology affects driving behaviour.

David Hurwitz, a transportation engineering professor involved in the research, said the early results suggest the system has potential.

But researchers still need to determine whether the reduction in speeding could create other unintended problems.

For example, transportation officials need to examine whether frustrated drivers might begin running red lights or behaving unpredictably in response to the signals.

That is an important distinction.

A traffic system should not simply move one safety problem somewhere else.

Not Everyone Is Convinced

Some transportation advocates and motorists remain skeptical.

Jay Beeber of the National Motorists Association has questioned whether drivers will actually understand why a traffic light is staying red.

His concern is that some motorists could simply become frustrated rather than learning the intended lesson.

If drivers do not understand the connection between their speed and the traffic signal, the system could lose much of its behavioural effect.

That means clear signs and public education may be necessary alongside the technology.

Speed Cameras Can Work Alongside the System

Albuquerque is also using speed cameras in areas where the rest-in-red system operates.

The combination creates two different forms of pressure.

The traffic lights provide an immediate incentive to slow down, while speed cameras can provide enforcement when drivers continue to exceed the limit.

That combination could be more effective than relying on either approach alone.

Los Angeles Tried a Similar Idea

Other U.S. cities have experimented with related concepts.

Los Angeles briefly tested a system in which a feedback sign could trigger a red traffic signal when a vehicle travelling too fast was detected.

Boulder, Colorado, and Long Beach, California, have also experimented with smaller targeted efforts designed to discourage speeding through traffic-signal timing.

However, the technology remains far from widespread.

Most U.S. cities continue to rely on conventional signal timing, police enforcement, speed cameras and road-design measures.

Why the System Works Best in Certain Places

The strategy is not necessarily appropriate for every road.

Transportation experts say it appears particularly suited to roads that can become relatively empty at night.

These roads may have high capacity during the day but become attractive locations for speeding once traffic decreases.

That creates an opportunity for traffic signals to act as a form of speed control without physically redesigning the entire road.

It Could Change the Psychology of Driving

The most interesting part of the system may not be the technology itself.

It is the psychological shift.

Traditional traffic enforcement often tells drivers:

“Slow down or you will be punished.”

The rest-in-red approach offers a different message:

“Slow down and the road will reward you.”

That difference could matter.

People do not always respond to punishment in the same way they respond to immediate rewards.

A driver who repeatedly experiences a smooth journey at the speed limit may eventually learn that speeding simply makes the trip worse.

Could It Reduce Fuel Consumption?

There could also be secondary benefits.

Repeated stopping and accelerating can increase fuel consumption and vehicle wear.

A smoother journey with fewer unnecessary stops could potentially reduce those costs.

However, the primary objective of these systems is traffic safety and speed management, not fuel savings.

Any environmental or efficiency benefits would depend on how the system affects overall traffic patterns.

Could This Become More Common?

The technology is still relatively uncommon in the United States.

But if cities continue to see reductions in speeding and crashes without creating major traffic problems, more transportation departments could begin experimenting with it.

The biggest question will be whether the results seen in individual corridors can be reproduced elsewhere.

Road design, traffic volume, speed limits, driver behaviour and signal infrastructure vary significantly from city to city.

A system that works extremely well on one road may not produce the same result somewhere else.

The Bigger Future of Smart Traffic Signals

Rest in red is part of a much larger shift toward intelligent transportation systems.

Traffic signals are increasingly connected to sensors, cameras and computer systems capable of collecting real-time information.

In the future, signals could potentially respond dynamically to traffic volume, pedestrian activity, emergency vehicles and other road conditions.

That could transform traffic lights from simple timers into intelligent components of a city's transportation network.

The technology being tested in Albuquerque and Portland is an early example of that broader transition.

The Biggest Challenge Is Driver Acceptance

Technology alone cannot guarantee success.

Drivers have to understand the system and respond to it.

If motorists deliberately accelerate toward intersections in an attempt to beat the lights, the system could create frustration or even new safety problems.

But if drivers learn that maintaining the speed limit produces a smoother journey, the system could become self-reinforcing.

That is ultimately what cities are testing.

Conclusion

Some U.S. cities are experimenting with a surprisingly simple idea: reward safe drivers instead of relying entirely on punishment.

Albuquerque and Portland are using versions of the rest-in-red system to discourage speeding by making traffic signals more favourable to drivers travelling at or below the posted speed limit.

Early results are encouraging. Portland reported that average speeds at its first test intersection dropped from 39 mph to 30 mph, while Albuquerque says crashes and injuries have fallen along the corridor where the system was introduced.

But the experiment is not finished.

Researchers still need to determine whether the technology produces lasting changes in driver behaviour and whether it creates unintended consequences.

If the results continue to hold, however, traffic lights could take on a new role in American cities.

Instead of simply telling drivers when to stop, they could increasingly influence how fast drivers choose to travel.