is this a red light camera?

That particular device is a sensor to control the traffic light for approaching fire trucks.

Looks more like a traffic camera to me.

Fred

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/6698

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/6709

http://www.mobilemag.com/2009/12/04/get-endless-green-lights...

I've never seen a red light camera (and we have a zillion of them here in Dallas) that wasn't able to capture both a daytime and nighttime picture - the latter requiring a significant flash to 'light up' the vehicle and it's license plate.

No looks like traffic camera or traffic light camera.

It's a sensor that response to emergency vehicles to change the traffic light green, the emergency vehicle has a strobe light that interacts with the sensor on the traffic light to turn the traffic light green, there's a certain strobe light flashing pattern that is needed to change the traffic light green, (strobe light flashes per second).

As others have also said, it is a sensor to detect the approach of emergency vehicles. From what I have seen, when an emergency vehicle with lights flashing approaches, it changes the lights to all red. The emergency vehicle can go through anyway, while everyone else stops. It may be set up differently elsewhere, but I have seen these triggered a couple of times and that appears to be what happens.

....the emergency vehicle has a device similar to a garage door opener that transmits a signal to the traffic light that causes the lights to stop all cross traffic and oncoming traffic. That is why you will see these things sometimes work and sometimes not. It all depends on if the vehicle has a transmitter. I have seen these things work from as far as 1000 ft. to as little as 300 ft. It all depends on when the guy in the truck or ambulance pushes the button.
Now, in answer to the OPS questions; it can be as Box Car stated or it could be that it is a traffic sensor that will change the lights when a vehicle approaches. But it is centainly not a red light camera.