Oakland’s grace period is over. After 60 days of warnings, the city’s new speed cameras start spitting out real tickets tomorrow, targeting drivers clocked at 11 mph or more over the posted limit. The cameras, which went live in mid-January along 18 of Oakland’s most dangerous corridors, are part of a five-year pilot program aimed at cutting serious crashes.
According to the City of Oakland speed safety cameras page, the systems began issuing warning notices on Jan. 14 and are scheduled to start issuing actual citations tomorrow. The city’s site also includes a map of all 18 camera locations along with details on how officials say they are handling privacy, data retention and equity concerns.
The warning phase has already given Oakland drivers a taste of what is coming. Roughly 70,000 warnings went out in the program’s first month, according to KALW. That is about 1 percent of the city’s drivers and a pretty clear hint that a whole lot of people could see actual fines land in their mailboxes this week.
State law sets what those fines look like. Drivers caught going 11 to 15 mph over the limit will owe $50, 16 to 25 mph over costs $100, anything 26 mph or more over is $200, and the price for hitting 100 mph or above can reach $500, according to KQED. The program includes 50 to 80 percent fee reductions for qualifying low-income drivers, and city officials say any revenue left after paying for the system will go into traffic-calming projects.
How citations work and what to do
Citations issued by the cameras are civil, non-moving violations. They do not add points to a driver’s license and do not automatically affect insurance rates, according to the City of Oakland. The cameras are set up to photograph only rear license plates, not drivers or passengers.
If no violation is found, footage is deleted after five days. When a citation is issued, the images and related data can be kept for up to 60 days. The mailed notice will include the photo evidence and instructions on how to pay, how to appeal if you think the ticket is wrong and how to request a reduced fine or community service option if you qualify.
Why the city says it is necessary
City officials say the cameras are concentrated on Oakland’s high-injury network, the relatively small share of streets where the most severe crashes occur. The goal, they insist, is to change driving habits rather than rake in revenue.
“We want to change behavior and not just issue tickets,” Mayor Barbara Lee told Bay City News, as quoted by SFGATE. Data from San Francisco suggests that automated speed enforcement can significantly cut speeding at camera locations, according to KQED.
If you drive in Oakland, now is the time to pay close attention to those speed-limit signs, especially on busy, pedestrian-heavy stretches. Mails with citations are expected to start showing up after March 15, and each notice will spell out how to contest the ticket or apply for a reduced fee if you are eligible.
