Zooming Forward: S.F. transit officials approve speed camera locations while next steps in motion
Following the approval by transit officials last week of the proposed 33 locations to install automated speed enforcement camera systems, the city continues to move along its timeline in hopes of activating the cameras by early next year.
“I think we’re going to be the first in the state to have our cameras up and running,” said Shannan Hake, the project manager for the speed safety cameras program. Hake presented the final proposed locations at the SFMTA Board of Directors’ April 16 meeting for approval.
Five other cities, including Oakland and San Jose, have also been permitted to install the cameras under Assembly Bill 645 as part of a five-year pilot program approved by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year. The cameras will only issue tickets to drivers going at least 11 mph over the speed limit.
City supervisors last week also gave the final approval for the Municipal Transportation Agency to use a “design-build-operate-maintain delivery model” to implement the speed camera program. Once signed by the mayor, Hake said the agency is scheduled to request proposals from vendors next month and then choose a vendor in the fall.
While several approvals have already taken place, several more still need to occur before the cameras can be installed and activated. First, the SFMTA’s system use policy and impact report for the cameras must be approved by the Board of Supervisors. The ordinance is under the legislative process and will be heard at the board’s Rules Committee possibly next month, according to the SFMTA’s timeline.
Hake said the system use policy will spell out the vendor’s duties related to data, including keeping the data secure, how the data is stored and who has access to the data. The impact report focuses on the cameras’ intended use, costs of the camera system and any potential effects on people’s civil rights.
Before turning on the cameras, AB 645 requires the SFMTA to do a public outreach campaign 30 days before activating the cameras. Once the cameras are turned on, drivers will beissued warning notices during the first 60 days upon activation.
A list of intersections where the SFMTA will install cameras can be found on the agency’s website.
