Long Beach activates speed cameras, begins warning period

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KESQ) - Long Beach activated a new automated speed enforcement system today that will use cameras to identify speeding vehicles, beginning with a 60-day warning period before fines take effect.   

The program, administered by the city's Department of Public Works, will use up to 18 speed detection devices at locations selected based on traffic collision data, street racing and takeover activity, and proximity to schools.

The system will capture images of rear license plates when vehicles are traveling at least 11 mph above the posted speed limit, according to the city.

The warning period began Wednesday and will continue through Dec. 7, with signs posted in advance of each device to alert drivers.   

After the warning period, drivers traveling 11 to 15 mph over the speed limit will receive a warning if they have not already received one. A second offense and all subsequent offenses will result in citations and fines.   

Citations issued through the program will be civil rather than criminal and will not add points to a driver's license or affect driving records.

"We're taking an important step forward in making Long Beach streets safer for everyone,'' Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. "With the launch of our new Speed Safety System and the signing of SB 1279, we're expanding our ability to address dangerous speeding where it matters most. This is about encouraging safer driving, preventing crashes, and protecting the people who use our streets every day. Our goal is simple: change driving behavior, prevent tragedies, and save lives."

The system is authorized under Assembly Bill 645, a law approved in 2023 allowing automated speed enforcement pilot programs.   

City officials said the devices will not use continuous video recording or facial recognition technology.   

"This program was built with accountability at every step, with strict, legally mandated limits on how long data can be kept, who can see it, and how revenue can be used,'' City Manager Tom Modica said.

Revenue from citations must first cover operating costs, with any remaining money directed toward neighborhood traffic-calming improvements, according to the city.

Drivers who receive citations can seek an initial review, request an administrative hearing and appeal to Superior Court. Low-income drivers may qualify for reduced fines, payment plans or community service instead of payment.

The program could expand next year under Senate Bill 1279, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 27.

The legislation, authored by Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, allows the city to install two additional speed detection devices along Pacific Coast Highway beginning Jan. 1, 2027.  

According to city officials, the roughly 8.5-mile stretch of PCH through Long Beach accounts for nearly 15% of traffic fatalities despite representing less than 1% of the city's arterial roadway network.

Since 2020, state highways within Long Beach, including PCH, have been the sites of 48 of the city's 318 traffic-related deaths.   

"Last year, Long Beach saw 53 fatal traffic collisions, the highest number in more than a decade,'' Gonzalez said.   

The city said the speed enforcement program is intended to address dangerous driving along corridors with high rates of serious and fatal collisions.  

The devices will be operated under a contract with Verra Mobility, which provides similar systems for other cities participating in California's pilot program.

The program is authorized to operate for five years and must end before Jan. 1, 2032, under state law.

Information about device locations, enforcement procedures and the city's speed safety policies is available at longbeach.gov/speedsafetysystem.