San Jose begins installing speed cameras citywide

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Speed cameras are no longer just a proposal in San Jose. The city has begun installing 33 automated speed enforcement cameras across San Jose as part of a five-year pilot program authorized under state law AB 645 for automated speed enforcement, also called speed safety cameras.

"I think it's a good thing," said Jamie Stone, a longtime San Jose resident.

Another resident Mekonen Seyoum said, "I don't have any problem with that."

The program has already launched in Oakland and San Francisco. According to Mayor Daniel Lurie's office in San Francisco, dangerous speeding dropped by 84% at camera locations during the first 18 months of enforcement.

"I'll be honest with you, I'm going to have to be a little bit better, a slower driver," Stone said.

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Seyoum added, "If it saves lives, I would agree with that."

San Jose has recorded 41 traffic fatalities this year. City leaders hope the cameras will reduce speeding and the crashes associated with it.

"Forty-one? Well, that's not okay," Stone said.

Two of the new cameras are already installed on Saratoga Avenue near the site of a motorcycle crash that killed a woman several weeks ago.

A memorial remains at the location, serving as a reminder of the dangers on the road.

When citations begin, likely in February, fines will start at $50 and could reach as much as $500 depending on the driver's speed.

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"You turn the corner, people are doing 60 miles an hour," Stone said.

Revenue generated from the citations will be used to help cover the cost of operating the program. Any additional funds can only be spent on traffic safety improvements.

"We might not all like it, but I don't think anybody wants to kill somebody," Stone said.

The cameras will be installed in every City Council district, with locations selected based on crash history and areas where pedestrians need greater protection.

"Take two minutes more to get somewhere, and you can save somebody's life," Stone said.

As San Jose experiences an increase in traffic deaths, city officials say the cameras are intended to send a clear message to drivers: slow down.