Phoenix Revives Photo Safety Cameras, Enforcement Starts March 25

The city will activate 17 speed-monitoring cameras on February 23 with a 30-day warning period before issuing citations.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 4:07pm

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Phoenix is bringing back its photo safety camera program, with 17 new speed-monitoring devices set to go live on February 23. The city will have a 30-day warning period before enforcement and issuing citations begins on March 25. The cameras are part of Phoenix's Vision Zero road safety plan and are meant to change driver behavior and support police enforcement.

Why it matters

Phoenix's photo safety camera program was previously shut down, but the city is reviving it as part of its Vision Zero initiative to improve road safety and reduce crashes. The cameras are intended to slow down drivers on high-risk corridors and in school zones, though the program has faced some public debate and legislative challenges at the state level.

The details

The first batch of 17 cameras will be split between rotating corridor locations and fixed school-zone towers. The corridor cameras will be placed on several major roads like Thunderbird, 32nd Street, 7th Street, and Camelback Road. Eight additional cameras will rotate through 15 mph school zones during the school year. The cameras will be operated by Verra Mobility under a contract approved last year by the city.

  • The photo safety cameras will be activated on February 23, 2026.
  • There will be a 30-day warning period from February 23 to March 25, 2026 where drivers will receive mailed warnings but no fines.
  • Enforcement and issuing of citations will begin on March 25, 2026.

The players

Briiana Velez

Street Transportation Director for the City of Phoenix.

Verra Mobility

The company contracted by the City of Phoenix to operate the automated enforcement program.

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What they’re saying

“Photo safety cameras return to Phoenix!”

— Briiana Velez, Street Transportation Director (X)

What’s next

The judge in the state legislature will decide in the coming weeks whether to allow a ballot measure that could ban photo radar across Arizona, which could impact Phoenix's program if approved by voters.

The takeaway

Phoenix's revived photo safety camera program is part of the city's broader Vision Zero initiative to improve road safety, though the program faces some public skepticism and legislative challenges at the state level. The cameras are intended to slow down drivers and support police enforcement on high-risk corridors and in school zones.