PHOENIX — Speeders in Phoenix are about to face a new enforcement tool.
Starting Monday, the City of Phoenix will activate photo safety enforcement cameras for the first time since 2019 as part of a more than $10 million street-safety push approved by the city council.
The Phoenix Streets Transportation Department says 17 speed enforcement cameras will be installed across the city.
Nine of the cameras are placed along major arterial roads, while eight will rotate through school zones. One of those cameras is already installed near 28th Street and Camelback Road.
According to the most recent crash data from ADOT, speeding is a factor in roughly one-third of all crashes on Arizona roads. Phoenix police say reducing speed can be the difference between life and death.
“If you speed, or if you’re distracted, and you get in an accident, you could injure yourself, someone else, or someone may lose their life,” said Sgt. Jen Zak.
Some drivers say they’ve already seen dangerous speeding in areas where cameras are now active.
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“We have cameras set up in this area, which I think is necessary,” said Phoenix driver Seth Steinbrook. “Especially on weekends here, you can see it’s still busy. They’re not doing 40, more like 50.”
While the city has also approved funding for red-light enforcement cameras, that program is not currently being implemented.
“The intersection cameras are still being looked at,” Matt Wilson with the Phoenix Street Transportation Department said. “But they’re not moving forward at this time.”
The cameras will begin with a 30-day warning period. While full enforcement with tickets begins March 25, some drivers say even the warning phase could help change behavior.
“It’s just good for people to get in the habit of, there is a camera, you’re being watched, so reduce the speed,” Steinbrook said. “It’s better for everybody.”
Meanwhile, photo traffic enforcement could soon face a statewide challenge. At the Arizona Legislature, lawmakers are considering SCR 1004, a measure that would ask voters this November whether photo traffic enforcement should be allowed anywhere in Arizona.
