Oakland plans to install speed cameras in these locations
The Oakland City Council approved a $4,865,000 program Tuesday to install automated speed cameras across the city before the end of 2025, a report to the council from the Oakland Department of Transportation shows.
The program comes after 33 speed cameras in San Francisco have been installed and gone live, issuing warnings to drivers before beginning citations — ranging from $50 for those driving 11 to 15 miles above the limit to up to $500 for those reaching 100 miles per hour — on Aug. 5.
Oakland expects cameras to be installed in the fall and winter, with the goal of reducing speeding and traffic injuries and deaths, the city said. The report from the city transportation department said two Oakland residents on average are killed or seriously injured in traffic collisions per week, which 'disproportionally impact people of color, seniors and people with disabilities.'
The report also said pedestrians are 'especially vulnerable' to consequences of speeding cars. It states that a pedestrian hit by a car going 20 miles per hour has a 90% chance of surviving, but a pedestrian hit by a car going 40 miles per hour has only a 10% chance of surviving the crash.
Both Oakland and San Francisco, along with San Jose, Los Angeles, Long Beach and Glendale, received approval for automated speed safety camera installations under California Assembly Bill 645, which was passed in October 2023.
The state law allows the cities to run five-year pilot programs and mandates a 60-day warning period, where drivers are warned about their speeding before being cited. Oakland said their speed cameras will be overseen by the city transportation department, rather than the police department, and citations will be issued to vehicle owners, not drivers.
Under the state law, any 'excess revenue' collected beyond the cost of the program will be 'reinvested into traffic calming,' city council documents said, and spent within three years.
Those found to be speeding 1 to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit will not receive tickets from the automated speed cameras, while those cited as speeding between 11 and 15 miles per hour over the limit will be charged $50 in citations mailed to car owners.
The fines will increase to $100 for cars going 16 to 25 miles per hour over the speed limit, $200 for 26 miles per hour over or more and $500 for those driving at a speed of 100 miles per hour or more.
The fees are cut in half for those with an income of 200% of the federal poverty level or less, and are only 20% of the original fines for those deemed 'indigent,' the report said.
The report said that automated speed cameras will only be authorized to collect images of rear license plates, with facial recognition software and video prohibited.
Oakland officials said 18 locations for speed cameras had been chosen from narrowing down a list of locations based on data from the 2024 High Injury Network, a map showing where most severe and deadly traffic collisions in the city took place.
Only 8% of the city's streets account for 60% of severe and fatal collisions, Oakland officials found. Officials said they also prioritized locations that were near schools, senior centers and commercial districts.
The cameras will all be on city-owned streets — not on freeways or areas run by Caltrans — and there will be at least one camera in each city council district, the report said. The cameras will be run through a contract with Verra Mobility and could cost up to $1.75 million annually, the report said, with funds from citations being put toward covering the costs.
Here are the proposed locations:
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San Francisco Chronicle
19-06-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland plans to install speed cameras in these locations
Drivers in Oakland could soon receive warnings — and eventually tickets — from speed cameras in up to 18 locations. The Oakland City Council approved a $4,865,000 program Tuesday to install automated speed cameras across the city before the end of 2025, a report to the council from the Oakland Department of Transportation shows. The program comes after 33 speed cameras in San Francisco have been installed and gone live, issuing warnings to drivers before beginning citations — ranging from $50 for those driving 11 to 15 miles above the limit to up to $500 for those reaching 100 miles per hour — on Aug. 5. Oakland expects cameras to be installed in the fall and winter, with the goal of reducing speeding and traffic injuries and deaths, the city said. The report from the city transportation department said two Oakland residents on average are killed or seriously injured in traffic collisions per week, which 'disproportionally impact people of color, seniors and people with disabilities.' The report also said pedestrians are 'especially vulnerable' to consequences of speeding cars. It states that a pedestrian hit by a car going 20 miles per hour has a 90% chance of surviving, but a pedestrian hit by a car going 40 miles per hour has only a 10% chance of surviving the crash. Both Oakland and San Francisco, along with San Jose, Los Angeles, Long Beach and Glendale, received approval for automated speed safety camera installations under California Assembly Bill 645, which was passed in October 2023. The state law allows the cities to run five-year pilot programs and mandates a 60-day warning period, where drivers are warned about their speeding before being cited. Oakland said their speed cameras will be overseen by the city transportation department, rather than the police department, and citations will be issued to vehicle owners, not drivers. Under the state law, any 'excess revenue' collected beyond the cost of the program will be 'reinvested into traffic calming,' city council documents said, and spent within three years. Those found to be speeding 1 to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit will not receive tickets from the automated speed cameras, while those cited as speeding between 11 and 15 miles per hour over the limit will be charged $50 in citations mailed to car owners. The fines will increase to $100 for cars going 16 to 25 miles per hour over the speed limit, $200 for 26 miles per hour over or more and $500 for those driving at a speed of 100 miles per hour or more. The fees are cut in half for those with an income of 200% of the federal poverty level or less, and are only 20% of the original fines for those deemed 'indigent,' the report said. The report said that automated speed cameras will only be authorized to collect images of rear license plates, with facial recognition software and video prohibited. Oakland officials said 18 locations for speed cameras had been chosen from narrowing down a list of locations based on data from the 2024 High Injury Network, a map showing where most severe and deadly traffic collisions in the city took place. Only 8% of the city's streets account for 60% of severe and fatal collisions, Oakland officials found. Officials said they also prioritized locations that were near schools, senior centers and commercial districts. The cameras will all be on city-owned streets — not on freeways or areas run by Caltrans — and there will be at least one camera in each city council district, the report said. The cameras will be run through a contract with Verra Mobility and could cost up to $1.75 million annually, the report said, with funds from citations being put toward covering the costs. Here are the proposed locations:
San Francisco Chronicle
09-06-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee promises ‘relentless effort' at community inauguration
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Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Yahoo
California career politician Barbara Lee wins mayor race in embattled Oakland
Former Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., defeated former Oakland City Council member Loren Taylor in Oakland's special election for mayor, following months of uncertainty for the struggling city. While Taylor made inroads as a relative political outsider with campaign finance reports revealing he outraised the career California politician, Lee was ultimately triumphant following Friday's ranked choice tallies. The race for mayor had been too close to call on Tuesday night following Oakland's April 15 special election as Taylor maintained a slight lead over Lee, with just over a thousand more votes in his favor. Oakland follows a ranked choice voting system, where candidates with the least votes are eliminated as voters' backup choices get a boost in the tally. The liberal-run city has had four different mayors in a four-month period after Mayor Sheng Thao was recalled this November and subsequently indicted on eight counts of bribery. Oakland has been without a clear leader this year as the city continues to grapple with ongoing crises. 'Fed Up': Embattled Blue City's Future Hangs In The Balance Ahead Of Mayoral Special Election Taylor's campaign to finish out Thao's term was aimed at shaking up the political "status quo" and restoring Oaklanders' faith in their politicians after months of uncertainty. Taylor's policy platform highlighted public safety initiatives, budget stabilization to avoid bankruptcy, anti-corruption and increased efficiency at City Hall, tackling homelessness and boosting the local economy. Read On The Fox News App California City's Massive $130M Deficit Threatens Dangerous Cuts To Its Firefighting Capacity There were 5,490 homeless people in Oakland in 2024, a 9% increase since 2022, according to Alameda County Health's January 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) report. While the Oakland Police Department reported a decrease in violent crime in 2024, 2025 began with a crime surge, including five recorded homicides within a 48-hour period. By Jan. 3, The San Francisco Chronicle reported Oakland's third homicide of the year and seventh since Dec. 30, 2024. Oakland's staggering $129.8 million budget deficit for Fiscal Year 2024-25 forced some Oakland firehouses to close their doors earlier this year, but the City Council was able to pass a resolution to reopen those firehouses earlier this year. "Oaklanders are frustrated," Taylor told Fox News Digital in an interview ahead of the special election. "We are upset that we have not been getting what we deserve, what we should be getting from our local government. The status quo continues to fail us when we see crime rates rising out of control, we see homelessness still growing when it's shrinking in neighboring cities, we see our city facing the largest fiscal budget deficit in our history – a number of failures that show that what we have is not working." Lee touted a long list of political endorsements during her campaign and had the name recognition that landed her a victory. She lost the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate last year to her former colleague in the House, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. "Barbara Lee is meeting voters every day in their living rooms, at their doors and at community events. She hears their priorities loud and clear - she is running to be a mayor who can make Oakland safer, address the fiscal crisis and root out corruption. That is why her 100-day plan tackles public safety, homelessness, good governance and economic opportunity head on," a spokesperson for Lee's campaign told Fox News Digital ahead of the special election. Click To Get The Fox News AppLee's spokesperson reiterated Lee's endorsements, including "seven former mayors and city administrators, virtually every member of the city council as well as the city's business chamber." Lee vowed to bring a "fresh perspective" to Oakland's City Hall, and she accused Taylor of helping "make the bad decisions that shaped the city."Original article source: California career politician Barbara Lee wins mayor race in embattled Oakland
