The city is set to begin installing 125 automated speeding cameras next month, which will issue fines once drivers exceed the speed limit by 11 miles per hour.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s stupid,\u201d said Theo Howard, 19, a film production student. \u201cIf you\u2019re going 11 miles over, you\u2019re not really a hazard.\u201d <\/p>\n
The city does not agree.<\/p>\n
The initiative, formally known as the Speed Safety System Program pilot, is part of AB 645, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into state law in 2023. Six cities will have a total of 185 cameras installed: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose.<\/p>\n
San Francisco and Oakland were the first to issue tickets. Following the cameras\u2019 installation, San Francisco officials reported that speeding decreased<\/a> by an average of 72% at 15 different locations.<\/p>\n Camera installations in San Jose, however, have been paused. An $8.5 million federal grant issued by the Biden administration was set to fund the city\u2019s operation, but when the Trump administration updated<\/a> the terms and conditions of that grant, which was then followed by unsuccessful negotiations, a lawsuit began.<\/p>\n Los Angeles is on its own timeline. From February to March, a 30-day public review of proposed policies and locations was enforced, and the City Council unanimously adopted LADOT\u2019s program on March 24. <\/p>\n Camera installations are planned to run from April to July. A 60-day public information campaign will also launch in the summer, along with the start of a 60-day warning period, a grace period where violators will receive notices but not fines. By the end of the year, a formal ticket issuance and fine collection will begin<\/a>, according to KTLA. <\/p>\n If additional cameras are introduced, the city must provide another 60-day warning period in compliance with state law<\/a>.<\/p>\n Eight to nine cameras will be installed in each of Los Angeles\u2019 15 City Council districts thus far. Impacted<\/a> streets include Wilshire Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard, among others.<\/p>\n The city identified camera locations as high-risk intersections and corridors where drivers, cyclists and pedestrians face increased risk of traffic-related deaths. The selected streets include roads with proven safety issues, a history of street racing and school zones, according to LADOT<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSystems will be installed across the city where speeding and crashes happen most often and where children, seniors and other vulnerable people are concentrated,\u201d LADOT said in an online attachment<\/a>.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s recent installations of automated traffic cameras are not its first attempt. Red light cameras were installed across the city in the early 2000s, but the program was shut down in 2011 due to issues with program cost and enforcement, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a statement to Annenberg Media, LADOT said the new program differs from red light camera programs since the current program requires cameras to be installed in locations with known safety issues, and are prohibited from being disproportionately located in low-income neighborhoods. LADOT also said that violations result in a $50 fee and a citation from LADOT, but do not add points to a driver\u2019s license. <\/p>\n LADOT\u2019s new program is no cheap fix. Its total estimated annual cost<\/a> to run all 125 cameras is $7.95 million, including $6.75 million for equipment and vendor contracts and $1.2 million for staff salary and fringe benefits, in addition to a one-time $500,000 fee for professional services.<\/p>\n However, LADOT is already planning a five-year review<\/a> of the program\u2019s safety and economic impact, which will be reported to the state. <\/p>\n \u201cFuture expansion of the program,\u201d LADOT media representatives said, \u201cremains contingent upon the outcomes of this initial five-year phase and subsequent state authorization.\u201d<\/p>\n The review will also include a racial and economic equity analysis<\/a>, examining violations by ZIP code in collaboration with local stakeholder groups.<\/p>\n Despite high costs, officials say the program could significantly improve safety. According to LADOT, speeding is the cause of nearly one-third of traffic fatalities. Roadway speed cameras have been shown to reduce speeding<\/a> by 31% to 82% and fatal crashes by 53% to 71%. <\/p>\n High speeds also reduce the chance of survival. Pedestrians hit by a car driving at 48 mph have a 25% chance of survival. At 33 mph, the survival rate increases to 75%; and at 23 mph, it reaches 90%<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Washington-based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration<\/a> predicts the cameras could reduce serious injuries and deaths up to 37%. <\/p>\n So how does it work? The cameras will capture front and rear license plates<\/a>, and this data will be used for automated traffic enforcement.<\/p>\n \u201cThe city remains committed to protecting driver privacy through an \u201cAdopted Use Policy,\u201d LADOT said. \u201cCameras capture only the rear of the vehicle and the license plate. State law prohibits the use of facial recognition technology or the storage of interior vehicle images, ensuring that enforcement focuses solely on vehicle speed and road safety.\u201d<\/p>\n If they see the driver speeding, the city is no longer requiring a police officer or member of Highway Patrol to pull you over. Instead, you\u2019ll be automatically mailed your minimum $50 fine. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t love them,\u201d said Sebastian Alba, 22, a senior studying industrial design. \u201cI understand the point of safety, but I\u2019m not super excited for these because I just know there\u2019s going to be instances where I know for sure that I wasn\u2019t speeding.\u201d<\/p>\n