SF prepares for speed enforcement cameras
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco is rolling out messaging warning drivers that speed cameras are coming to the city.
Shannon Hake manages San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's speed enforcement camera program, and said the cameras will start snapping photos of speeding vehicles in March.
"When the radar detects the vehicle going at 11 miles per hour or more over the speed limit, it will take a picture of the rear license plate of the vehicle," she said.
The SFMTA said the decision on where to place the cameras was data-driven, looking at San Francisco's most dangerous roads.
"We started with the high injury network, which is the 12% of streets that account for 68% of our serious injuries and fatalities," Hake said. "On those streets, we started looking up high collision corridors that had speed related collisions."
What's next:
The billboards are going up now, the city will be installing 33 cameras around San Francisco and then the first notifications will start going out in March. Two months after the warnings are sent out, the fines will begin, ranging from $50 for 11 miles over the speed limit to $500 if the vehicle is captured going 100 miles per hour or more.
The cameras will snap photos of the plate on the rear of the vehicle, and the ticket will then be issued to the car's owner, regardless of who was behind the wheel.
"The registered owner is the one who will open up their mailbox and find a citation," Hake said.
What they're saying:
Pedestrians along Harrison Street, one of the planned locations, said the cameras should work to slow drivers, and make the streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
"Well, I think that that's a good idea because traffic is speeding, and you know, you have kids walking around," said Michael Blount. "Some people are unaware of their surroundings when they're driving."
Drivers who spoke with KTVU also said they thought the speed enforcement cameras would be a good idea, and that drivers would slow down with the knowledge that speeding could result in a big ticket.
"Yeah, my friend that I live with has a courier company, so we drive all day," said Carter Wheeler.
"I think just the threat of a ticket and the cameras I think it will definitely slow down," he added.
SFMTA told KTVU that San Francisco is the first city in the state where speed enforcement cameras will be activated for this pilot program.
The cameras are also coming to Oakland and San Jose, as well as Los Angeles, Glendale and Long Beach.