L.A. Council Advances Speed Camera Pilot and Bike Lane Camera Enforcement

Last week, the Los Angeles City Council voted to advance two camera programs expected to improve safety on city streets. The council approved planned locations for speed cameras expected go live later this year. The council also approved a motion directing City Departments to report back on camera enforcement of bike lanes.

LADOT expects Speed Cameras Pilot launch by late 2026

2023 State legislation enabled six California cities to pilot life-saving speed cameras. State law specifies how programs must be tailored for safety, equity, and privacy. San Francisco and Oakland already have camera programs up and running. Last year, the cities of Long Beach and Glendale finalized camera locations and approved vendor contracts. Those programs are scheduled to go live this fall.

The Los Angeles City Department of Transportation (LADOT) speed camera pilot has been in the works for years, but has run behind all other programs in CA. On Tuesday, the council approved speed camera locations, largely following the proposal LADOT circulated in February. The camera location approval was covered in LAist, Eastsider, Daily News, NBC4, Spectrum1, and Westside Current.

According to an LADOT spokesperson, “the immediate next step is to execute the contract, subject to approval by the City Attorney, City Council, and Mayor.” The city continues to look to utilize similar contract terms (to “piggyback” on terms worked out with other cities) with Verra. That company is contracted to run the San Francisco, Oakland, Glendale and Long Beach programs.

Once the city approves the contract, then a timeline can be finalized. Once cameras are in place, state law requires a mandatory 60-day campaign to notify drivers of the program and the camera locations. During that period, the city issues warnings in advance of actual citations. LADOT expects to launch its speed camera campaign “later this year.”  

Read more about the program at the LADOT February report to council, and the LADOT Speed Safety program webpage.

Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras Coming Some Day

On Friday the council approved a bike lane enforcement motion [Council File 25-0558] authored by Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez. The motion lays the groundwork for cameras to issue tickets to drivers parked in bike lanes; specifically the motion directs LADOT to report back on how the city can implement a bike lane camera enforcement pilot program.

The approval timing is disappointing. The motion was introduced last June. A prompt council approval might have set this revenue-generating pilot up for the next fiscal year’s budget.

Santa Monica already installed bike lane enforcement cameras on city vehicles. Their program will go live soon. Hoboken, New Jersey, already has bike (and bus) lane camera enforcement up and running.

Note: Santa Monica’s camera enforcement vendor Hayden AI is an advertiser with Streetsblogs Los Angeles and California. Hayden AI was not consulted on this post.