Speed cameras will be allowed to enforce speed limits in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and three other California cities under a pilot program approved last week by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The governor signed Assembly Bill 645 allowing the use of automated speed cameras to deter speeding and issue citations against drivers exceeding speed limits.
In San Francisco, the bill will allow 33 speed cameras to be tested for a five-year period on streets with the highest crash rates or in school zones, according to Walk San Francisco, which advocates for safe streets.
“This is a huge win for safe streets, and so many of us who have worked on this are celebrating today,” Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco, said in a press release.
Fines under the speed cameras will start at $50 for drivers going 11 mph above the posted limit and increase for higher speeds, according to Walk SF.
Walk SF and the group San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets have pressed to pass speed camera legislation since 2017.
Speed cameras have been put to use in 205 communities in 21 states, according to Walk SF.
San Francisco is expected to launch its cameras in early 2025.
Los Angeles, Glendale and Long Beach are the other cities that will be authorized to pilot the cameras.