California bill seeks to place speed cameras in road construction zones
Assembly Bill 289 by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) would establish a pilot program that would place cameras at up to 75 construction zones in the state.
Haney spoke about the measure at a news conference off Interstate 80 near Davis on Wednesday, surrounded by construction workers.
"This bill is about saving lives and it's about valuing the workers who risk their lives to build California's infrastructure," he said.
Haney discussed the danger highway construction workers face on the job, noting that 9,500 crashes took place in the state's work zones in 2021, leading to 73 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries.
In 2023, there were more than 100 vehicle intrusions into highway work sites, which led to injuries and even deaths.
"This isn't just tragic, it's preventable. And we have a responsibility to fix it and protect both workers and drivers," Haney added.
Haney also noted the success of a pilot program that placed speed enforcement cameras in several cities, including San Francisco.
"Speeds are going down, crashes are being reduced and behavior is changing," he said.
According to the text of the measure, speeding drivers would face fines starting at $50 for driving 11 to 15 miles per hour above the posted speed limit, with increasing fines for higher violations. Drivers caught going 100 mph or faster in a work zone would receive a fine of $500.
Haney said the bill includes fine reductions and payment plans for lower-income drivers. The bill prohibits the speed cameras from using facial recognition and limits data use.
If approved, California would join 16 other states that have already placed speed cameras in work zones. Haney said Maryland and Pennsylvania, which already have the cameras in construction zones, have seen dramatic reductions in speeding and crashes.
AB289 has passed out of three Assembly committees with bipartisan support and is headed to the Assembly floor.
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