Oakland has initiated a pilot program to install speed safety cameras across various city streets. According to the City of Oakland, warning notices began going out on Wednesday, and the real deal, speeding tickets, are set to start being issued in mid-March 2026. Aimed at boosting safety and reducing the number of injuries and fatalities, the program places Oakland among six California cities testing these waters.
Following Assembly Bill 645, this five-year program designates 18 locations for camera installation, ranging from Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Hegenberger Road, with speed limits of 20 to 40 MPH. There are several rules assembled to protect privacy and equity, such as the cameras snapping photos of only the rear of vehicles, which will help to potentially decrease unnecessary interactions between police officers and the community during traffic stops. Footage restrictions are also in place: they are to be retained for only five days if no violation is issued and for 60 days if a citation is issued.
As an additional layer of fairness, the program includes sliding scale fines based on the driver’s income and opportunities for community service in lieu of monetary payments. The fines for exceeding the speed limit start at $50 and rise to $500 for drivers caught going over 100 MPH. Low-income and public benefits recipients will benefit from reduced rates, dropping fines for minor offenses to as low as $10.
No points are to be added to drivers' licenses for these infractions, and the fines begin at only 11 MPH over the speed limit, a threshold lower than in some other jurisdictions. Moreover, citations will count as non-moving violations, which means they won't directly impact a driver's insurance rates.
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