Calls Rising for Automated Camera Traffic Speed Enforcement
Maria Hernandez speaks tearfully about the traffic death of her mother, Maria Marcelo, last December, at a press conference Wednesday in support of a state measure to enable San Jose and five other cities to pilot use of automated cameras for speed enforcement. From left, also in support, San Jose Police Officers Association President Sean Pritchard, Police Chief Anthony Mata, City Council member Pam Foley, SVBC Policy Director Sandhya Laddha, Mayor Matt Mahan, and council members Omar Torres and Bien Doan.
In the campaign to slow speeding drivers and the resulting traffic injuries and deaths, San Jose community and civic leaders Wednesday called on a state body to approve legislation that would allow speeder-catching cameras on key city streets.
The measure, the Speed Safety System Pilot Program, or AB 645, would enable camera use under specific conditions as a pilot in San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Glendale and Long Beach. It is now at a critical decision stage before a key state Assembly committee that has let similar previous efforts expire.
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition joined Mayor Matt Mahan, Police Chief Anthony Mata, Police Officers Association President Sean Pritchard, City Council members Pam Foley, Bien Doan and Omar Torres, and Maria Hernandez, who five months ago lost her mother to a driver, for a press conference Wednesday organized by Mahan’s office to call attention to the need to push for approval by the Assembly Appropriation committee.
“While the bigger goal remains infrastructure improvements that bring about maximum safety for all roadway users 24x7 year-around, these changes cannot be made overnight,” said Sandhya Laddha, SVBC policy director, speaking to the group.
“The Automated Speed Enforcement Bill would be a great interim solution and that coupled with ongoing infrastructure improvements can help the City achieve its Vision Zero goal faster,” said Laddha. SVBC is currently campaigning for street safety infrastructure funding in the upcoming San Jose city budget, for improvements approved for years but not acted on.
See what you can do, read full text of Sandhya Ladhha’s comments, and see key provisions of AB 645, further down.
Mahan urged that residents contact leadership of the Assembly Appropriation Committee, now considering the measure, to urge that they approve it and send it to the Assembly floor for a full vote. If cleared by the Assembly, the measure would then go to the Senate, and then to the Governor, for consideration.
“Speed safety cameras are just plain common sense,” said Mahan. They’re an important tool, he said, when coupled with expanded police traffic enforcement staffing, and traffic-slowing street infrastructure enhancements, for reducing traffic deaths and injuries.
A difficult backdrop
The press for state approval for an automated speed safety camera pilot comes against a backdrop of a record-setting 65 traffic deaths in San Jose last year – one-third of them speed-related, and touching bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers alike – in a trend of pain and loss that is also being reflected across the nation.
Wednesday’s event took place at Plata Arroyo Park, at McKee and King roads, two roads that Mahan said have seen dozens of severe injury and fatal accidents in recent years.
Maria Hernandez spoke of losing her mother, Maria Marcelo, last December. Her mother was on foot crossing the street near Perrymont Avenue and Little Orchard Street, in the procession of the Virgen de Juquila, a Christmas pilgrimage popular in Oaxaca, Mexico. “I have had the hardest five months,” she said, in tears.
What you can do
Contact the Assembly Appropriation Committee leads now to urge passage of AB 645. This form from Walk San Francisco makes it easy.
Sign SVBC’s petition to the City of San Jose to fund Vision Zero street infrastructure improvements.
Keep up with issues in your community – join an SVBC local team.
Full text of SVBC Policy Director Sandhya Laddha’s remarks
Hello everyone. My name is Sandhya Laddha, Policy-Advocacy Director at Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition - SVBC, a non-profit organization where we work toward building healthy and more just communities by making bicycling safe and accessible for everyone.
I’d like to begin by thanking Mayor Mahan for his support on this important pilot program. I would also like to thank then Assemblymember David Chiu who first introduced this concept in 2017 and laid the foundation of this program at the state. Also thanks to all the City staff who have been doing all the heavy-lifting behind the scenes.
SVBC is really excited about AB645 - an important step aimed toward saving lives, reducing the number of serious injuries, reducing speeds, and also freeing police and emergency response resources. We're pleased to see the legitimate equity and privacy issues addressed in this bill so that it does not have any adverse effects on black and brown communities.
While the bigger goal remains infrastructure improvements that bring about maximum safety for all roadway users 24x7 year-around - these changes cannot be made overnight. The Automated Speed Enforcement Bill would be a great interim solution and that coupled with ongoing infrastructure improvements can help the City achieve its Vision Zero goal faster.
While I am a representative of a bicycle coalition, this bill is not aimed towards the safety of bicyclists alone. It will make our streets safer for all roadway users including drivers and pedestrians. Speeding accounts for one-third of traffic deaths. For every 10 mph of increased speed, the risk of dying in a crash doubles. In addition, as speed increases, the risk of serious injuries and damage to vehicles and property also increases.
Safe streets save lives. So again, thank you Mayor Mahan, and other leaders for your work in moving this Bill forward. And let's continue to keep our eyes on the big and necessary step that is to fund necessary infrastructure improvements through the current City budget.
Key provisions of AB 645
According to the Federal Highway Administration, speed cameras can reduce crashes on urban streets by 54%.
The AB 645 program includes strong measures to ensure that key concerns around privacy and equity are addressed.
Where cameras are installed:
Install speed cameras in school zones, high injury networks and in areas with a history of speeding.
Would require the participating city or city and county to engage in a public information campaign at least 30 days before implementation of the program, including information relating to when the systems would begin detecting violations and where the systems would be utilized.
The language stipulates that cities must seek community input on where the cameras will be installed. Once the cameras are installed, there will be a 60-day warning period where no tickets will be issued. Speed safety system impact report to include, if potential deployment locations of systems are predominantly in low-income neighborhoods, a determination of why these locations experience high fatality and injury collisions due to unsafe speed.
Reporting to include a racial and economic equity impact analysis, developed in collaboration with local racial justice and economic equity stakeholder groups.
Privacy and equity concerns addressed:
Penalties
Any penalty given is a civil one so it does not put a point on one’s license nor is it subject to surcharges, and the fines in this bill are significantly lower than speeding fines given by police officers.
The provisions require cities to reduce fines for those under the poverty line by 80% or offer community service, and require cities to reduce fines by 50% for individuals 200% above the poverty level.
The bill requires any revenue from the fines to be spent on local traffic calming measures. Additionally, there are performance metrics in place so the effectiveness can be assessed and tweaks can be made.
Photo/video evidence
The legislation prohibits use of any photo or video taken for any other purpose than a speeding violation and requires that they be destroyed after 60 days. Facial recognition technology is also prohibited.
Photographic evidence that is obtained from a speed safety system that does not contain evidence of a speeding violation shall be destroyed within five business days after the evidence was first obtained.
A speed safety system at a specific location shall be operated only if, within the first 18 months of installation of a system, one of the following thresholds has been met:
A reduction in the 85th percentile speed of vehicles compared to data collected before the system was in operation.
A 20-percent reduction in vehicles that exceed the posted speed limit by 10 miles per hour or more compared to data collected before the system was in operation.
A 20-percent reduction in the number of violators who received two or more violations at the location since the system became operational.
See and track the bill on the legislative tracking site.