Drivers in San Francisco will soon be issued speeding tickets for infractions captured by automatic cameras.
The city launched its automated speed cameras on Thursday by activating 12 of its cameras, with a 60-day introductory phase that will result in warnings without fees attached.
The automated cameras work by reading the rear license plate of a vehicle. They do not have facial recognition technology, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
Cameras will ultimately be activated at 33 locations that are the most prone to collisions with severe injuries or fatalities, the mayor’s office said in a press release.
“No matter how you get around our city, you should be able to do it without fearing for your life. That is why I am proud that San Francisco is now the first city in California to implement automated speed cameras,” said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.
He said speeding was the leading cause of traffic-related injuries and deaths in the city.
Automatic speed cameras were authorized by a state law passed in 2023 that established a five-year pilot program for their use in six cities, including the Bay Area cities of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland. There are 21 other states that already use the technology, according to traffic safety organization Walk San Francisco, which supported the campaign to install them.
Fines for speeding are established by state law and escalate from $50 for driving between 11-15 mph over the speed limit, to $100 for going between 16-25 mph over the limit, $200 for going more than 26 mph over the limit, and $500 for driving faster than 100 mph. Fines are half for people with low incomes and 20% of the normal amount for anyone receiving public assistance, according to the SFMTA.
The use of automated speed cameras has been opposed by the ACLU of Northern California. The civil rights advocacy organization said in a 2024 report that the technology had worsened racial disparities in ticketing when it was used in Chicago. It also warned of the potential dangers to certain communities if data was shared with the federal government.
The SFMTA, which collects the data, has said it will not share any data with any other parties unless ordered by a court.
The speed cameras are in addition to the 400 planned fixed automated license plate readers San Francisco is also installing around the city, which have similarly been opposed by the ACLU. At least 100 of those cameras have been installed.
The ACLU suggested speed bumps as an alternative to cameras as a way to slow traffic.
In addition to Walk San Francisco, the cameras were championed by the traffic safety advocacy organization San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets.
There were 42 fatalities and more than 500 collisions with severe injuries in San Francisco in 2024, according to Walk San Francisco.
Camera locations activated on Thursday include:
- Fulton Street, from 42nd Avenue to 43rd Avenue
- Geary Boulevard from 7th Avenue to 8th Avenue
- Geary Blvd from Webster to Buchanan Street
- Turk Street from Van Ness Avenue to Polk Street
- Franklin Street from Union Street to Green Street
- Columbus Avenue from Lombard to Greenwich Street
- Broadway from Powell Street to Stockton Street
- 10th Street from Harrison Street to Folsom Street
- 7th Street from Harrison Street to Folsom Street
- Eastbound King Street from 4th Street to 5th Street
- Market Street from Danvers Street to Douglass Street
- Northbound 3rd Street from Key Avenue to Jamestown Avenue
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