Trying to change driver behavior using fees and fines has become a hot-button issue lately, with New York City’s congestion tolling sitting at the top of the headlines over the past few months. Now, San Francisco is launching a bold, first-in-the-state pilot program with the goal of improving traffic safety with a network of 33 new speed cameras.
There’s An 11 MPH Buffer Zone, But Don’t Push It
The cameras have been placed near freeway on and off ramps and near popular places along the waterfront. The cameras will take pictures of rear license plates when vehicles are above the speed limit by 11 miles per hour. For drivers speeding 11-15 mph over the limit, there is an initial warning. After that, there is a two-month grace period followed by a $50 citation. Fees can go up to $500 for those going anywhere over 100 mph in the city.
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Teaching New Behavior Instead of Punishing
The cameras went up on Thursday, March 20, and appear to be accompanied by small signs that read the speed limit is “photo enforced.” The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency states, “Speed safety cameras are a proven tool to address excessive speeding and reduce severe and fatal injury traffic collisions.”
A spokesperson says the goal is to educate people instead of inflicting financial harm. The city says that during the first 60 days of the new program, people will not be fined. It also says fees will be reduced for those with lower incomes. Like any big change with the goal of changing behaviors, residents are voicing their support for and against speed cameras.
Strong Opinions On Both Sides Of The Argument
From the San Francisco Chronicle, “Pushing his red walker down the Ninth Street sidewalk, Patrick Barron said he doesn’t drive, but thought that the speed cameras would bring about positive change. ‘It’s a good thing,’ he said. ‘People speed like crazy.'”
On the other side, some say the timing of the cameras, after changes to streets like shrinking the number of parking spots, has made them suspicious.
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“‘The city has this thing about a war on cars, I’m convinced,’ said Christopher Rillo, a Richmond District resident who was at a Marathon gas station on Geary Boulevard. He said he believes the speed cameras are a good idea, but ‘we’ve gone overboard on bikes and it’s driving me nuts. And the closing of the Great Highway also disturbs me. I think that was a very foolish decision.'”
San Francisco launched its VisionZero program in 2014, after the Dec 31, 2013, death of a 6-year-old, Sophia Liu, who was hit by a then-Uber driver in a crosswalk. In 2024, the city marked a decade since it launched the program and said it would be continuing its “commitment to create safer, more livable streets with the goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities and significantly reducing severe injuries.” The driver was found guilty of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in 2018, which is punishable by up to one year in jail.
Sources: San Francisco Chronicle, SFMTA, SF.gov
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