San Francisco Residents Optimistic About Speed Cameras Slowing Drivers

Residents say they've noticed flashing lights from the cameras and hope citations will lead to safer streets.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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San Francisco residents say they've noticed the flashing lights from new speed cameras across the city, which are issuing citations at an unprecedented rate. Residents are hopeful the cameras will lead to drivers slowing down and increased pedestrian safety, even as the number of tickets has started to decline in recent months.

Why it matters

Speed-related crashes are a major public safety concern in San Francisco, with pedestrians and cyclists at high risk. The new speed camera system is part of the city's efforts to improve road safety, though the long-term impact remains to be seen.

The details

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has activated 33 speed safety cameras across the city, leading to over 90,000 speeding tickets issued in the first five months. This is a stark contrast to the 20,000 traffic tickets issued by police in all of the previous year. While there was an initial surge in tickets, the number has started to decline in recent months, suggesting drivers are changing their behavior.

  • The speed camera system began issuing citations in August 2025.
  • In the first five months, over 90,000 speeding tickets were issued.
  • Ticket numbers declined in October, November, and December 2025, indicating drivers are slowing down.

The players

Frank Murphy

A San Francisco resident in the Inner Richmond neighborhood who received a warning citation from the new speed cameras.

May Yi

A San Francisco resident who has noticed the flashing lights from the speed cameras and hopes they will force drivers to slow down.

Jodie Medeiros

The executive director of Walk SF, a pedestrian safety advocacy group, who has observed the initial surge in tickets followed by a decline, indicating a change in driver behavior.

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)

The agency responsible for implementing the new speed camera system in San Francisco.

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What they’re saying

“I got a warning citation in the mail a couple weeks ago, and I was like, 'Oh no, it's going to be expensive.' It was just a warning. I was like, 'OK, good,'”

— Frank Murphy (CBS News Bay Area)

“I'm crossing the street and (cars) come right behind you and then make that left turn or something — Close calls.”

— May Yi (CBS News Bay Area)

“Take the last quarterly data that came out, tickets given in October, there were fewer in November, and fewer in December. So, people are changing their behavior.”

— Jodie Medeiros, Executive Director, Walk SF (CBS News Bay Area)

What’s next

The SFMTA says it hopes to see citations continue to decline as drivers adjust to the new speed camera system. Safety advocates are also pushing for the expansion of speed camera legislation in California to allow more cities to implement similar systems.

The takeaway

San Francisco's new speed camera system is already having an impact, with residents noticing a decline in speeding tickets as drivers change their behavior. While the initial rollout has been successful, continued enforcement and education will be key to ensuring these cameras have a lasting effect on improving pedestrian safety in the city.