In an article about how little the city of Vista, California is earning from $341 red light camera tickets, there is an interesting admission. A city official is quoted as saying the synchronization of traffic lights has helped reduced red light infractions at one of the city intersections. The problem with changing two variables in an experiment is that you'll never know which was the true cause of the benefit. Let's watch Vista and see how much the camera gets all the credit in the future.

Oh, about that money shortage. He "hopes and anticipates" to be profitable by the end of the fiscal year.

"Our hope and anticipation is that by the end of the fiscal year, we expect to have just enough money to pay for the deputy and recover all our associated costs," [Rick] Dudley [, Vista's assistant city manager,] said. "Everybody looks at this and says $341, wow, they're making a fortune, but that's not the case at all."
...

Dudley said the city's recent synchronization of traffic signals on Escondido Avenue has also helped reduce the number red lights being run.

City statistics show that red-light violations at the Escondido Avenue intersections declined last month when compared to July, the first month the cameras were used.