By Erin Hoops, Car-Lite Long Beach
Car crashes killed 36 people in Long Beach in 2023, the majority of whom were pedestrians. Speeding vehicles caused most of these deaths.
Sadly, the problem is not unique to Long Beach. In California, 35% of traffic deaths were speed related, with over 1,500 deaths from speeding in 2021 alone. Traditional methods of traffic enforcement have not been able to keep up.
However, recently-passed Assembly Bill 645 (AB 645) allowed Long Beach to become a pilot city for automated speed camera systems. Automated speed cameras work day and night, rain or shine, and have no bias. More importantly, results from New York City show they work. After implementing their program, speeding at fixed camera locations dropped by 73 percent, and the results have been persistent. In the eight years since commencing operation, 46 percent of plates receiving a Notice of Liability have not received a second.
As a pilot city of our own speed camera program, we can lead the way in Southern California by implementing this proven method to slow down drivers and save lives.
Per AB 645, the program will be run by Long Beach Public Works. Great lengths will be taken to provide data and identifiable information, and no facial recognition software will be utilized. The tickets will be on a sliding scale based on income, warnings will be given during the first 60 days of enforcement, and qualified individuals will have an option to replace fines with community service.
Additionally, the city will have strict limitations on revenue usage. Revenue must first pay for the program itself. Then, excess revenue will be used to plan and construct traffic-calming measures at the affected sites within at most three years. If Long Beach does not plan or build anything with the money, it gets sent back to the state Active Transportation Program.
It has been 8 years since our City Council first adopted a resolution to pursue Vision Zero to eliminate all traffic fatalities, and now we have additional support to help us realize it. As the city begins the process of implementing speed cameras, there are four key features that will help serve all residents of Long Beach.
- Involve the community: Community voices must be part of the planning process to ensure that the program does not overlook neighborhoods and that it prioritizes areas of concern like school zones and senior centers.
- Educate the public: To build and maintain public support, the community needs to know what to expect. Though already part of the law, public messaging must be visible and accessible across platforms and on the ground. Drivers need ample signage to warn them of speed camera zones, that warnings will only be issued during the first 60 days, and that citations will not affect their driving privileges.
- Evaluate: The city should conduct regular evaluations of speed-camera safety benefits by collecting crash and infraction data and publishing before-and-after comparisons. Data transparency will help the city evolve their best practices to reduce unsafe driving, improve equity, and maintain public trust.
One life lost to traffic violence is one too many. With the right products and procedures, we can make Long Beach a safer place to walk, bike, drive, and move.
Erin Hoops is an Organizer of Car-Lite Long Beach, a community organization advocating for safe streets and alternative modes. To learn more about Car-Lite Long Beach, visit carlitelb.org.