Oakland will get 18 speed cameras over the next six weeks

December 5, 2025 • 08:10

Oakland is resurrecting automated traffic enforcement, installing 18 Verra Mobility speed cameras 11 years after a previous program was dismantled over civil rights concerns. Deployed on the city’s ‘high injury network,’ the cameras are part of a state pilot (AB 645) intended to reduce speeding-related fatalities. Fines start at $50 for driving 11 mph over the limit, with revenue earmarked for ’traffic calming measures.’ Despite new privacy provisions in the state law–such as data deletion mandates and a ban on facial recognition–advocacy groups like Oakland Privacy remain wary. They highlight the program’s potential for disproportionate financial extraction from low-income residents and cite the city’s poor track record on surveillance oversight. An audit of Verra Mobility’s NYC operations revealing faulty cameras and overbilling further fuels concerns about vendor accountability.

Read the article at Oaklanside