LA has a plan for where new speeding cameras will go up. Here’s the map

L.A. is one step closer to seeing speed cameras installed throughout the city. The Los Angeles City Council today unanimously adopted two reports from the Department of Transportation, which decided where those cameras will go.

A 2023 state law allows some cities, like Los Angeles, to pilot cameras that detect speeding drivers and help generate citations. L.A. is authorized to install these cameras in 125 locations. These cameras are already set up in some cities, including San Francisco and Oakland.

City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky said at Tuesday’s meeting that the city is missing out on potential revenue that these cameras could generate.

“L.A. is the last to implement it, and frankly, that's embarrassing and unfortunate,” Yaroslavsky said. “Just want to note how often we talk about how we don't have money to make street safety improvements or fund HLA mandates. This is a meaningful source of funding for projects that are going to save lives, and we're just leaving it on the table.”

Why it matters 

Yaroslavsky said speeding cars are the leading cause of death of children in Los Angeles.

“That should stop all of us in our tracks,” she said. “This program gives us a tool to prevent those deaths and protect people in every neighborhood. L.A. should lead on pedestrian safety.”

In L.A., traffic collisions killed 290 people last year, and more than 150 fatal collisions involved pedestrians, according to the LAPD.

Damian Kevitt, the executive director of Streets Are For Everyone, on Tuesday urged the council to support implementing and expediting the program.

“I am proud of how this program has been crafted with safety as its primary and foremost purpose. I love that the revenue from this program can only be used for road safety improvements across L.A.,” Kevitt said during Tuesday’s public comment. “I also love that it is not allowed to be run by law enforcement but instead is administered by LA DOT.”

Where will the cameras go? 

The Department of Transportation proposed installing cameras on streetlight poles throughout the city, with cameras evenly distributed across districts.

One amendment made to the map is that in Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez’s District 1, made up of parts of northeast and northwest L.A., the camera system will be installed on Figueroa Street, instead of on Venice Boulevard.

LADOT’s map below does not reflect Tuesday’s amendment but does show the other locations:

Proposed location of speed cameras. Click to see an interactive version.

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LADOT

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What’s next? 

Tuesday’s vote approves LADOT’s plan to launch a 60-day public information campaign to inform residents and drivers about where these cameras will be installed.

LADOT will also expand its Community Assistance Parking program to allow people who are unhoused or low income to do community service instead of paying a citation. The department is also expected to provide annual reports on its efforts to support people with low income.

Once installed, drivers will have a 60-day grace period, during which, if they are caught speeding by the cameras, they will get a warning. But after that grace period is up, speeding drivers will be ticketed.

Kavish Harjai contributed to this story.