Speed Safety System Pilot Program

Project description

State law AB 645, which was passed in October 2023, will allow San José and five other California cities to test the use of automated speed enforcement, also called speed safety cameras. The pilot projects can start as soon as 2024. They must stop and have their results reported after five years or by the start of 2032, whichever is sooner. Under the new law, San José may install up to 33 camera systems.

The City of San José supports the use of speed safety cameras and was a co-sponsor of AB 645. Speed safety cameras are essential tools in fighting our #1 known cause of fatal and severe injury crashes: speeding.

Implementing a pilot program will be no small task. This is a new program that needs to be built from the ground up:

We will need to conduct robust community outreach, including a discussion around where cameras will be installed
The equipment must be leased or purchased and installed. The citation program must be established and managed
Reporting must be prepared for the state

Though this is a new opportunity for select California cities, San José has researched implementation. We have talked with cities that have existing speed safety camera programs, including Chicago, IL; Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Denver, CO; and New York City. New York has the largest speed safety camera program in the nation, with more than 2,200 cameras.

We are also coordinating with the other five pilot cities included in AB 645. We want to be consistent across jurisdictions and strategic about procuring equipment and vendor services.

We do not expect to begin our speed safety camera until the 2024-2025 fiscal year at the earliest. We are working internally and with our Mayor and City Council to secure funding for the program. This page will be updated with announcements and opportunities for community engagement.

Updates

Timeline

The law permitting speed safety cameras, AB 645, took effect at the beginning of 2024. The city has until January 1, 2032 to implement the five-year pilot.

Community engagement

Community engagement will begin once the program has been funded.

City Goals Supported by Speed Safety Cameras

Vision Zero San José: Speeding is the top known cause of fatal and severe-injury crashes in San José. Speed safety cameras are a proven tool to reduce speeding along high-injury streets in cities around the country.

Resources

Is speeding really that bad in San José?

Are speed safety cameras effective?

The National Transportation Safety Board, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Highway Administration, and the California Transportation Agency have all recommended using speed safety cameras to enforce speed limits. Speed cameras were authorized as an expenditure under the federal bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, speed cameras can reduce crashes on urban streets by 54%.

In New York City, as of December 2021, speeding at fixed camera locations had dropped, on average, 73%. Speeding in school zones reduced up to 63%.

Where will the cameras go?

Once the speed camera program is funded and staffed, we will evaluate currently available data regarding speeding-related crashes. We will then take this data and analyze it through the requirements of the legislation. The new law says we can only use speed safety cameras on state-defined safety corridors, school zones, and areas with a history of street racing or sideshows. The law also requires us to place cameras in communities of all income levels, not clustered in one or a few areas.

These parameters will help us create a list of candidate locations. We will then work with the public to further refine and reduce a list of locations. Cameras and the supporting systems will then need to be purchased or leased with a future budget. By law, San José is only allowed to have 33 camera systems in service, though the legislation also includes a process for moving any individual system if the initial location isn't effective.

What protections does the public have under the new law, to protect privacy and ensure equity?

The law requires cities to start with robust engagement with local stakeholders. Those include racial equity, privacy protection, and economic justice organizations. These conversations will help inform where the cameras are placed. By law, speed safety cameras must be distributed across neighborhoods of all income levels, not clustered in one or a few neighborhoods.

The cameras will use still photography only (no video). Facial recognition technology is prohibited, and photos will only include the rear of the vehicle and its license plate.

Footage may only be retained for five days if no violation is issued, or 60 days if a violation is issued. It must be collected by the City/its contractor and may not be shared or used for any other purpose.

The law prohibits any data sharing with any other state or federal government agency or official, except as required by state or federal law, court order, or in response to a subpoena.

How expensive will these tickets be?

If you exceed the speed limit by…	Your fine will be…
11-15 mph	$50
16-25 mph	$100
26 mph+	$200

If you are cited for driving 100 mph or more using a speed safety camera, your fee will be $500.

What will happen with the ticket money?

Will cities use this system to raise money?

No. The speed safety camera pilot project is designed to not be an unreasonable financial burden to drivers. Warning tickets must be issued for the first 60 days of the program, or 60 days after a new camera is placed. And the first violation for speeding 11-15 mph over the posted speed limit is also a warning.

The law requires cities to reduce fines for those below the federal poverty level by 80% or offer community service. Cities must reduce fines by 50% for individuals whose income is 200% above the federal poverty level.

Will tickets created using speed safety cameras count against my license?