Mayor Lurie Takes Major Step to Improve Public Safety, Kicks Off New Phase of First-In-The-State Automated Speed Camera Program

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today announced that tomorrow, August 5, San Francisco’s automated speed camera enforcement program operated by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will begin issuing speeding citations at 33 intersections across the city. San Francisco will be the first city in California to implement this life-saving technology that aims to reduce speeding and correct street behavior to prevent auto collisions. The city has been testing the cameras out with a warning period since March. Data from the warning period shows drivers are already slowing down before any fines have been issued, showing that the program is achieving its goal of shifting behavior.

Mayor Lurie has leveraged new technology to improve safety across the city in other departments—announcing a new space in downtown San Francisco for SFPD’s Real-Time Investigation Center to improve safety and continue driving down crime. The mayor has made public safety his top priority, launching his Rebuilding the Ranks plan to fully staff the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and Sheriff’s Office.

“Whether you walk, bike, take Muni, or drive, you should be able to get where you’re going safely in San Francisco,” said Mayor Lurie. “Speed cameras are proven to help keep people safe on the streets, and we are already seeing positive results from the warning period: Cameras are issuing fewer notices, and drivers are going at safer speeds. As our kids go back to school and more people continue to go into the office, we’re using this new technology to make our streets safer for our kids, our seniors, and our entire community.”  

Since Mayor Lurie launched it in March, the Speed Safety Camera Pilot Program has shown positive early results:

• More than 70% of vehicles that were issued a warning have not received a second—suggesting driver behavior is changing.
• Across all camera locations, average daily speeding events dropped over 30% between week one and week seven of camera activation.
• High-volume corridors are seeing the biggest changes, with speeding down between 40% and 63%.

The program has been particularly effective in high-volume areas:

• Fulton Street saw a 63% decrease in speeding events over 13 weeks between Arguello Boulevard and Second Avenue
• Geneva Avenue saw a 45% decrease over eight weeks between Prague Street and Brookdale Avenue
• Bayshore Boulevard saw a 40% decrease over seven weeks between the U.S. 101 off-ramp and Tunnel Avenue

Tomorrow, San Francisco’s cameras will be fully operational, marking the first deployment of their kind in the state. Violation fees and fines will range from $50 to $500 depending on the severity of the speeding violation, with reduced fines for low-income individuals who qualify. All revenue collected through San Francisco’s speed cameras will go directly into creating safer streets, with the goal of decreasing speeding.

Now in San Francisco, these cameras are already slowing traffic near eight schools, 12 parks, 11 senior and disability service sites, and 12 busy neighborhood commercial corridors where many people walk, bike and drive. SFMTA used a data-driven approach to identify streets where speeding poses the greatest risk, especially to the most vulnerable people—children, seniors and pedestrians. Cameras were placed on streets that have records of severe or fatal speed-related collisions, where drivers consistently exceed the speed limit, and where vulnerable road users are most present, including areas near schools, parks, senior centers, and commercial corridors.

To further enforce the speed limit at high-volume locations, the city has installed additional visual cues such as pavement markings, larger speed limit signs, and highly visible warnings to remind drivers to stay within the posted speed. 

“By using technology to change driving behavior, we’re not only slowing cars, but saving lives—especially as children head back to school,” said Viktoriya Wise, SFMTA Director of Streets. “Speed cameras are a part of our commitment to creating streets that prioritize safety, accessibility, and community well-being for everyone. We thank Mayor Daniel Lurie and our city partners for continued commitment to support safer streets for San Francisco.”

San Francisco’s speed camera program was authorized by AB 645, passed in 2023.

“I’m proud to see San Francisco leading the way, demonstrating what we’ve known all along, that automated speed enforcement works to make our streets safer,” said State Senator Scott Wiener. “There have been far too many deaths and injuries caused by high-speed drivers that were preventable, and I’m glad to see this technology become operational.”

“Speed is one of the top factors in severe and fatal car crashes,” said City Attorney David Chiu. “Automated speed cameras are proven to slow drivers down and save lives. I introduced the first automated speed enforcement bill in the Assembly in 2017, and we worked for years to bring this life-saving technology to San Francisco and other California cities. Thank you to the advocates and policymakers for making San Francisco the first city in California to fully implement this program to make our streets safer.”

Speeding is the number one cause of serious injuries and fatalities on city streets, and speed cameras are proven to improve safety. The SFMTA is working with contracted vendor VerraMobility, who is responsible for collecting speeding information for the city and reports that San Francisco has the highest volume of speeding compared to any other metropolitan city they are contracted with. 

"The data we're seeing from San Francisco's speed camera safety program confirms what many residents already know: Speeding is a serious problem in the city, " said Will Barnow, Senior Vice President at Verra Mobility. "The number of warnings that have been issued for this program are among the highest we've seen across our national portfolio of speed enforcement programs. This reinforces why SFMTA's decision to implement this program is critical for public safety." 

“The city’s launch of automated speed enforcement is a significant step toward curbing dangerous driving and saving lives,” said Robin Pam, Director of Streets for All San Francisco. “Slower speeds benefit all San Franciscans, no matter how they get around, by improving public safety on our streets. We look forward to working with Mayor Lurie, SFMTA and our state legislators to allow San Francisco to expand beyond the 33-camera pilot and bring the benefits of automated enforcement to every neighborhood.”

Camera locations and citation amounts can be found on the SFMTA Speed Safety Camera website.