The ill-fated red-light camera program still has signs posted on La Brea Avenue. Speed cameras could be the next attempt at controlling traffic. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The Los Angeles City Council advanced plans to install speed cameras throughout the city in 2026, and approved a pilot program on Sept. 17 outlining where the first three cameras will be installed.

The cameras capture photographs of vehicles traveling at speeds above the limit, and drivers will receive citations in the mail. Fines will range from $50 to $500 depending on how fast a driver is traveling.

The cameras were made possible under California Assembly Bill 645, legislation authored by then-Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) to give cities and counties a greater ability to address traffic fatalities caused by speeding. Friedman, who now serves as the U.S. Representative for the 30th Congressional District, said the law will make a difference in protecting lives.

“I was proud to author AB 645, which created a pilot program allowing certain cities to opt into using speed cameras to protect children and families near schools and high-injury roads,” Friedman said. “Making sure our community is safe has been a top priority of mine, and in Congress I’m continuing to make it a priority by advocating for federal investments in programs like Safe Streets For All – because when we have safe roads, we have safer communities.”

Other cities, including San Francisco, have already begun implementing the speed cameras. Los Angeles, Glendale, Long Beach, San Jose and Oakland were also approved to participate in the pilot program under AB 645.

The Federal Highway Administration estimates that approximately 6,500 pedestrians and 900 bicyclists were killed nationwide in collisions with motor vehicles in 2023, the latest year for which nationwide statistics are available. In Los Angeles, 304 people were killed in traffic collisions in 2024. According to an L.A. city staff report on the speed cameras program, speed accounts for nearly one-third of traffic fatalities, and automated speed enforcement studies show reductions in fatal crashes ranging from 53%-71%.

The pilot program in L.A. will roll out in the coming weeks and months, with the goal of the cameras being operational by mid-2026. The motion approved by the City Council noted the locations of the first three cameras, which will be placed on Vista Del Mar between Imperial Highway and Napoleon Street in Playa Del Rey, on Mulholland Drive between 15951 Mulholland Drive and 16200 Mulholland Drive in the Santa Monica Mountains, and on Slauson Avenue between Culver Boulevard and Braddock Drive in West Los Angeles.

AB 645 calls for 125 speed cameras to be installed in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles where speeding has been an issue. The City Council directed the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to report back on precuring a contractor to implement and oversee the program, and to finalize a list of the 125 locations where cameras will be installed. The $500,000 cost of the cameras will be covered by funds from Measure M, a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2016.

The city of Los Angeles previously utilized cameras to address drivers running red lights. The red light camera program was operation from 2004-11, when the city ended it because operational costs had increased and it was determined the program was not effective enough to warrant continuation. Signs notifying drivers about the program are still posted along some city streets, including La Brea Avenue, but the cameras were removed years ago.

The LADOT did not return requests for further information on the speed cameras program by press time.