S.F. to use 33 speeding cameras

San Francisco will study where to place cameras that automatically catch and ticket speeding drivers next year, city officials announced Monday.

At least 33 cameras will be placed in school zones and other high-risk corridors around the city to catch speeding drivers, officials said. Gov. Gavin Newsom legalized their use Friday in a traffic safety bill.

The law requires that the cameras be placed in known risk areas, such as streets with a history of sideshows or pedestrian injuries. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency “will be assessing potential locations” for the cameras throughout 2024 using traffic collision data and input from traffic safety advocates to determine where the cameras should be installed, officials said.

“Enforcement must be part of our work to make our streets safer, and speed cameras can be a key part of that work,” Mayor London Breed said Monday in a statement.

The cameras were also approved for use in Oakland and San Jose.

Drivers traveling at least 11 mph over the speed limit will be photographed and automatically ticketed. Fines start at $50, but lowincome drivers will be eligible for an 80% discount.

Following the SFMTA’s yearlong study, the locations selected for speed cameras will be posted online and widely publicized, officials said. The transit agency is planning a public information campaign 30 days before the camera systems are turned on, and anyone caught speeding in the first 60 days will receive a warning but no fine. City officials also plan to install signs alerting drivers when they are approaching a camera.

“Transparency will be at the forefront of our rollout,” Jeffrey Tumlin, SFMTA director of transportation said in a statement.

While some studies have found that the cameras change driver behavior, cutting down on crashes and deaths, some privacy watchdogs oppose their use, with critics questioning whether the devices will collect personal data that can be stolen or misused.

In response to privacy concerns, the cameras are not allowed to use facialrecognition software to identify drivers and data collection is restricted to a drivers’ license plate.