Summary of findings based on before/after evaluation
1. Compared to 2024 baseline data, 2026 tube counts show that drivers are slowing down at every speed camera location. The number of vehicles traveling 11 MPH or more over the speed limit dropped by an average of 70% across all 18 camera locations. That's about 20,000 fewer speeding vehicles every day.
2. The speed camera location with the greatest decline in speeding was 7th St. between Adeline St. and Linden St. In 2024, 1,760 vehicles passing the speed camera location were traveling 11 MPH or more over the speed limit. In 2026, that figure dropped to 158. This represents a 91% reduction in speeding vehicles at this location following the introduction of speed cameras. This was calculated using a percent reduction formula:
- Number of speeding cars in 2024: 1,760
- Number of speeding cars in 2026: 158
- 1760 - 158 = 1,602 fewer speeding cars
- 1,602 fewer speeding cars ÷ 1760 speeding cars in 2024 = 91% reduction
Speeds dropped even before the cameras were installed. Across all camera locations, average speeds fell by about 23% from 2024 (before the camera locations were announced) to 2025, after the announcement but before enforcement began.
3. Traffic speeds are decreasing at all speed camera locations, as measured by the 85th percentile speed, a key traffic engineering metric. The 85th percentile speed is the speed at which 85% of vehicles are traveling at or below.
Hegenberger Rd. saw the steepest decline. In 2024, 85% of vehicles were traveling at or below 57 MPH. In 2026, the 85th percentile speed dropped to 47 MPH.
Across all 18 speed camera locations, the 85th percentile speed decreased by an average of 3 MPH between 2024 and 2026. This is significant because every MPH makes a difference for safety, especially for collisions between vehicles and pedestrians or bicyclists:
- A person hit by a car traveling 20 mph has a 9 in 10 chance of surviving
- A person hit by a car traveling 30 mph has a 6 in 10 chance of surviving
- A person hit by a car traveling at 40 mph has a 2 in 10 chance of surviving
Note 1: Compared to baseline data in 2024, 2026 speed counts show the number of cars traveling 11 MPH or more over the speed limit decreased by an average of 70%. This represents 20,000 fewer cars speeding in Oakland every day across all 18 locations.
Note 2: The speed camera location with the greatest decline in speeding was 7th St. between Adeline St. and Linden St. In 2024, 14% of vehicles passing the camera were traveling 11 MPH or more over the speed limit. In 2026, that figure dropped to 1%. In other words, there was a 90% reduction in speeding vehicles at this location following the introduction of speed cameras. This was calculated using a percent reduction formula:
- Number of speeding cars in 2024: 1,760
- Number of speeding cars in 2026: 158
- 1760 - 158 = 1,602 fewer speeding cars
- 1,602 fewer speeding cars ÷ 1760 speeding cars in 2024 = 91% reduction
Chart 2: Vehicles traveling 11 MPH or more over the posted speed limit as a percentage of all traffic: baseline vs. post –implementation
Speeds decreased at several locations between summer 2024, before camera locations were announced, and summer 2025, after locations were announced but before implementation.
Chart 3: Posted speed limit and 85th percentile speed (Pre- vs. Post-Implementation, 2024-2026)
Findings based on citations and camera data
While Oakland has issued a high volume of warnings and citations, both are trending downwards.
- Since the start of the program on 1/14/26, Oakland issued 526,324 violations consisting of 193,508 citations and 332,816 warnings.
- During the 60-day warning period from 1/14/26-3/14/26, Oakland’s speed cameras issued 211,343 warnings.
- Since citations began on 3/15/26, speed cameras issued 193,508 citations and 121,473 warnings. Warnings continue to be issued according to a provision within AB 645, which states that if a driver’s first violation following the start of the citation period is between 11-15MPH, then it shall be issued as a warning.
- In the first month after citations began from 3/15/26-4/15/26, speed cameras issued an average of approximately 3,800 violations per day. In the most recent month covered by this report from 6/15/26 – 7/15/26, speed cameras issued an average of roughly 2,800 violations per day, a decrease of 26%.
- Across all camera locations combined, violations were issued to approximately 1.5% of all vehicles that passed by each camera, which shows that most drivers are driving close to the speed limit.
- Based on all violations issued across all 35 cameras, drivers who received violations were traveling an average of 14 MPH above the posted speed limit.
- At all but one location, drivers who received violations were traveling about 11–15 MPH over the speed limit on average. The exception was Foothill Blvd. between 19th and 20th Avenues (both directions), where the average was 19 MPH over the limit.
- About 58% of citations were mailed to registered owners with an address outside of Oakland.
Drop in citations between mid-May to mid-June
According to speed camera vendor Verra Mobility, the dip resulted from a staffing shortage that led to a processing backlog that limited the vendor’s ability to process violations within the required timelines of AB 645. Verra explained to Oakland that its backlog was caused by higher violation volumes than estimated, as well as unexpected attrition in their processor training program when multiple candidates dropped out. As a result, OakDOT issued significantly fewer warnings and citations during this period.
This issue has been resolved and Verra has increased its staffing. Oakland continues to work with Verra to ensure there are no processing delays in the future that limit the ability to issue warnings and citations.
Although citation volumes declined during this period, this had no bearing on the speed reductions described earlier in this report. OakDOT did not use citation data to compare speeds before and after speed cameras were installed. Instead, speed trends were calculated based on pneumatic tube counts, the industry-standard method for determining how fast vehicles are traveling. Therefore, the drop in citations did not influence the measurement or analysis of speed reduction.
Chart 4: Total issued warnings and citations (35 cameras across 18 locations), 1/14/26 - 7/15/26
Note 1: The volume of warnings increased during the warning period following a software update that corrected for valid warning violations being screened out before being issued. This is one of the reasons why a warning period was built into the program. After this update in early February, warnings increased to their peak of 7,000+ daily, whereafter they began to fall due to a change in driver behavior.
Note 2: From mid-May to mid-June, Oakland’s speed camera vendor experienced a staffing issue that limited its ability to process violations within the required timelines of AB 645. According to speed camera vendor Verra Mobility, the dip resulted from a staffing shortage that led to a processing backlog that limited the vendor’s ability to process violations within the required timelines of AB 645. This issue has been resolved and Verra has increased its staffing. Oakland continues to work with Verra to ensure there are no processing delays in the future that limit the ability to issue warnings and citations.
Cameras with Most Violations
Speed camera locations were chosen using the High-Injury Network (HIN) — the 6% of Oakland’s streets that account for 60% of severe and fatal collisions in Oakland. The 18 camera locations were prioritized based on observed speeding and proximity to sensitive land uses such as schools, senior centers and commercial districts.
These top ten locations are very similar to those in our initial report, with small changes in their rank.
- 73rd between Fresno & Krause, SB (253 avg. per day)
- Broadway between 27th/28th St, NB (238 avg. per day)
- Hegenberger Road between Spencer & Hawley, SB (180 avg. per day)
- West Grand Avenue from Chestnut to Linden Street (WB) (180 avg. per day)
- Broadway between 27th/28th St, SB (179 avg. per day)
- 73rd Avenue between Fresno and Krause, NB (161 avg. per day)
- 98th Avenue from Blake Drive to Gould Street, SB (143 avg. per day)
- 7th Street from Adeline to Linden St (WB) (136 avg. per day)
- Hegenberger Road between Spencer & Hawley (NB) (136 avg. per day)
- San Pablo from Athens Ave to Sycamore St (NB) (108 avg. per day)
- San Pablo from Athens Ave to Sycamore St (SB) (106 avg. per day)
Chart 5: Warnings and violations by camera, 1/14/26 - 7/15/26
Chart 6: Citations by unique license plate number
Chart 6 shows the rate of repeat citations for unique license plate numbers that received citations after the start of the citation period on March 15, 2026. As shown in the chart:
- 51% of vehicles that received one citation did not get another citation
- 70% of vehicles that received two citations did not reoffend
- 89% of vehicles that received citations had five or fewer
Oakland will continue monitoring this data to understand how citations influence driving behavior over time.
Citations based on registered address
Citations are mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. About 58% of citations were mailed to registered owners with an address outside of Oakland.
- 42% were mailed to registered owners with an address in Oakland
- 61% were mailed to registered owners with an address in Alameda County (including Oakland)
- 85% were mailed to registered owners with an address in the nine-county Bay Area
- 15% were mailed to registered owners with an address outside the nine-county Bay Area
Additional paint and signage installed near cameras in 20 MPH speed limit zones
Oakland currently has two speed cameras in 20 MPH speed limit zones: Broadway at 27th/28th streets and 7th Street approaching Broadway. In response to community feedback, Oakland recently installed additional signage and paint treatments at both locations, including new painted lane markings with “20” in each travel lane and new ‘traffic laws photo enforced’ signage to supplement the required ‘photo enforced’ signage. We are hopeful that these additional treatments – combined with the cameras – will continue to decrease violations at these locations.
Photo 1: Oakland crews install “20” MPH lane markings on 7th Street approaching Broadway
Photo 2: Newly installed “20” MPH lane markings on Broadway looking north at 27th Street
All revenue generated by the Speed Safety Camera Program will be used to recover the cost of maintaining our automated speed enforcement network and to fund street safety programs, like traffic calming and road improvements. Oakland is looking forward to sharing more about planned improvements in a future report.
Oakland is currently operating speed cameras at the maximum number of locations permitted by state law, Assembly Bill 645. Under AB 645, a city of Oakland’s size may operate speed cameras at up to 18 locations.
Oakland’s speed safety cameras are funded in part by a grant from the Alameda County Transportation Commission.
[End of report]