SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The first speed cameras in California are up and running in San Francisco as of Thursday. It is a big step for supporters who say the cameras will save lives.
Thirty-three speed cameras were installed around San Francisco, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportat
ion Agency, and 12 are in operation beginning on Thursday.
The cameras work much like the toll cameras positioned on Bay Area bridges and record the license plates of vehicles moving through. Anyone caught going 11 miles per hour over the speed limit will get a ticket in the mail.
Fines range from $50 to $500, depending on how fast the driver was speeding, SFMTA says. The city is giving people a 60-day grace period until the fines kick in.
Locations of speed cameras in San Francisco (SFMTA)
Last year in San Francisco, 42 pedestrians were hit and killed by vehicles and more than 500 were seriously injured. It was the deadliest year in over a decade.
Speed is the number one factor in those incidents, according to the advocacy organization Walk SF.
“It’s going to change behavior hopefully beyond just where the cameras are, and that’s what we really need,” said Marta Lindsey of Walk SF. “We need people to slow down everywhere in San Francisco, not just where there are speed cameras.”
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The cameras are part of a five-year pilot program made possible by Assembly Bill 645 which passed in 2023. The goal is to prevent serious injuries and save lives by getting drivers to slow down. Supporters are also calling on leaders to do more, including lowering speed limits.
Oakland and San Jose are also planning to launch speed cameras this year.
At 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, families of crash victims and city leaders will celebrate the speed camera launch at Joe DiMaggio Playground Park located at 651 Lombard Street. ...read more read less
