San Jose, San Francisco Look To Speed Cameras To Slow Down Drivers
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) -- One by one, various government bodies are giving their blessing to speed cameras in California cities.
On Monday, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission gave the green light for a test program that would snap photos of speeders in San Francisco and San Jose.
A KPIX 5-Survey USA poll shows most of the Bay Area is behind it, with 61 percent saying they support the speed cameras and 58 percent saying they think those cameras will help slow drivers down.
Jake Mackenzie, with Sonoma County Cities said, "There's an endemic problem with speeding in the Bay Area.'
Nick Josefowitz, on the BART Board of Directors said, "I just want to make sure that for my family and for every family out there, that cars are not putting everyone in danger."
Speed cameras are not to be confused with red light cameras.
Assembly Bill 342 would allow speed cameras to take a picture of your car in San Jose or San Francisco, going more than 10 miles an hour over the speed limit, and then send you a $100 ticket.
We asked San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo: What do want to say to critics who say it's just another money-making scheme?
Liccardo said, "The money won't be coming back to the city. This is really about ensuring select corridors -- we've identified 14 of them in the city -- where we are seeing the highest rates of injury-related accidents and deaths."
The cameras would only be installed in areas that have a documented history of crashes.
The 14 corridors make up just three percent of the roads, but account for 50 percent of fatal crashes in San Jose.
The pilot program would last for five years.
And the automated speeding ticket would not count against your driving record.
Still, for some it's going to be a tough sell.
San Jose resident Judith Shipsted said, "They shouldn't try to finance public works by trying to punish people for wrongdoing. We've already got enough cameras around this city."
San Jose resident Joseph Tourino lost his license after getting half a dozen speeding tickets.
So we asked him: Would a speed camera make you slow down?
Tourino said, "Definitely. You're forced with the consequence if you break the rules, which are in place for a reason."
If the pilot program is successful it could go statewide.
