125 speed cameras are coming to Los Angeles – and they’re projected to generate a staggering amount of city revenue

Los Angeles drivers face fresh misery as the city plots a huge speed camera network that could bring in tens of millions of dollars.

City Hall wants to set up 125 cameras across the region that will impose fines of up to $500 on those going at more than 100mph.

Citations are expected to begin this coming fall, according to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

The estimate of revenue generated by the network was calculated by National Motorists Association policy director Jay Beeber, based on early data from San Francisco’s speed camera program.

Beeber analyzed roughly $7 million in tickets issued there over five months.

Los Angeles may need between 110,000 and 175,000 paid citations a year to cover the nearly $8 million annual cost of its new speed camera program. KPIX

Annualized, that figure hits about $17 million per year for SF’s 33 cameras. Based on Los Angeles’ per-camera fine amount, that would bring in about $64 million for the city per year.

The cameras use radar or lidar technology to detect vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit and automatically photograph the license plate.

The plan calls for civil penalties starting at $50 for driving 11 to 15mph over the speed limit, rising to $100 at 16 to 25 mph over, $200 at 26 mph or more and topping out at $500 for drivers clocked at 100 mph.

LADOT has framed the rollout as a safety program, rather than a revenue play to boost flagging city coffers.

Based on Los Angeles’ per-camera fine amount, that would bring in about $64 million for the city per year. Maryna Konoplytska – stock.adobe.com

The camera rollout is authorized under Assembly Bill 645, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023, allowing six Californian cities to install the cameras in school zones and crash black spots as part of a five-year pilot.

Under the bill, the revenue collected must be cover the program’s costs rather than boost city coffers.

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The Los Angeles Department Of Transport estimates the camera roll out will cost $7.95 million per year in recurring expenses, plus a $500,000 one-time startup cost.

That includes roughly $1.2 million in staff salaries and benefits, and about $6.75 million in equipment and vendor contracts.

Los Angeles would likely need between 110,000 and 175,000 paid citations per year — roughly 880 to 1,400 tickets per camera annually — depending income-based discounts and nonpayment just to cover costs.

Fines can reach up to $500 for drivers clocked at 100 mph or more. KPIX

That break-even range implies an average collected amount of about $45 to $72 per citation, a plausible figure given AB 645’s $50 base fine and escalating penalties for repeat violations and mandatory reductions of up to 80% for low-income drivers.

The city has not published an official revenue forecast. Even modest ticket volume could generate significant sums in a city that depends on the automobile.

If each of the 125 cameras issued just 40 tickets per week at an average fine of $100, that would translate to roughly $500,000 per week — or about $26 million annually.

Higher citation rates or a greater share of higher-tier violations would push that figure higher; lower compliance or widespread discounts would shrink it.

Even modest ticket volume could generate significant sums in a city that depends on the automobile. Marco – stock.adobe.com

Beeber, who helped lead the charge to eliminate LA’s red-light camera program in 2011, argues the programs will inevitably drift toward revenue-raising.

“The biggest problem with these programs is that they always devolve into a revenue generation program as opposed to a safety program,” Beeber said.

Beeber said speed cameras will primarily target “the regular folks who are just driving the natural road speed of the roadway.”

“They’re really good at issuing tickets,” he said. “[The city] cannot make any profit on these systems if you are only ticketing the very, very unsafe people.”

Speed cameras set to go live in Los Angeles in the fall will issue fines starting at $50 and topping out at $500. Maryna Konoplytska – stock.adobe.com

He also questioned whether the cameras will increase road safety. “A reduction in speed does not by itself prove that there is an improvement in safety,” Beeber said.

San Francisco launched its speed camera program in March 2025, and reported a 72% average reduction in speeding in 15 monitored locations.

Officials said average speeds dropped by four mph and claimed 20,000 fewer vehicles were speeding at those sites.

More than 260,000 warnings and citations were issued during the early rollout, including 16,555 citations in August, the first month fines were imposed.

Oakland began installing its 18-camera network in late 2025 and entered its 60-day warning period in January. Citations will begin in mid-March, but no post-installation data has been released.

San Francisco reported a 72% reduction in speeding at monitored sites after launching its speed camera program in 2025. KTVU

A heated debate has already erupted amongst drivers in Los Angeles about the speed camera roll out.

“I just wish the drivers who almost kill people everyday here would be at least pulled over and given a ticket. But alas cops do nothing,” one driver wrote in a recent Los Angeles Reddit forum thread discussing the camera locations.

Another added: “If the police aren’t staffed for traffic stops, then bring in the robots!”

However, there were just as many comments pointing out the cameras had the potential to become revenue engine.

Beeber also raised questions about how collection of fines would work. f11photo – stock.adobe.com

“There needs to be limits on what % of the city’s budget can come from tickets,” one user warned.

Beeber also raised questions about how collection of fines would work. The violations as civil penalties rather than criminal offenses, he said.

The speeding citations do not add points to a driver’s license or affect insurance rates. The law also includes income-based discounts of up to 80%, capped payment plans, and diversion options.

“There’s no mechanism in order to get [people to pay the fines],” Beeber told The California Post.

“If people ignore these tickets — I don’t know how they’re going to get them to answer or pay them,” he said.

Officials call the rollout a safety measure, but critics warn speed cameras often “devolve into a revenue generation program.” KPIX

In Los Angeles, the Department of Transportation is in a public review phase, with City Council adoption of the required use policy and impact report expected in March.

Procurement, construction and testing are slated for spring and summer before the warning-only period begins.

LADOT is framing its new speed camera program as a key component of a broader traffic safety strategy, emphasizing that the system is governed by strict state rules designed to prioritize safety over revenue.

The city has identified selected 14 potential locations in each of the 15 council districts, then selected the top 125 based on crash history, speeding data and proximity to schools and senior centers.

In a statement, the agency stressed that the cameras are just one part of a comprehensive approach that also includes engineering and education.

“Speed safety cameras have proven effective in cities across the country, reducing both illegal speeding and fatal crashes by as much as 70%.”” said Colin Sweeney, an LADOT spokesperson.