“Too many Oaklanders are being hurt or killed because of dangerous speeding,” Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said in a press release. “This program is a smart, life-saving step forward and brings us closer to streets where everyone can travel safely.”
The installation of the cameras comes more than two years after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 645, which authorized six California cities, including San José, Oakland and San Francisco, to pilot automated speed camera systems for a five-year period. Oakland is now the second city to make good on the law, after speed cameras went online in 33 locations in San Francisco in August.
Oakland’s cameras will be installed along the city’s High Injury Network — the 8% of city streets that account for 60% of severe and fatal collisions. Oakland has recorded 23 traffic deaths in the city so far this year, a majority of which occurred on high-injury corridors. Traffic deaths have trended downward since 2022, when traffic collisions killed 36 people on city streets.
The report also said speeding is one of the most common causes of severe and fatal crashes in the city.
“Saving lives is our top priority, and managing vehicle speed is one of the most effective strategies we have to prevent these tragic fatalities,” said Josh Rowan, Director of the Oakland Department of Transportation.
