Minneapolis' 1st speed cameras could begin ticketing drivers this summer
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Signs alerting drivers to speed cameras in Albany, N.Y. Photo: Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images
Lead-foot motorists, take note: Speed enforcement cameras are coming to Minneapolis as soon as Aug. 1.
Why it matters: Roughly 80% of Minneapolis' traffic fatalities involve speeding drivers.
- City officials said electronic eyes are an effective tool for slowing drivers down.
How it works: The system will nab vehicles going at least 10 mph over the speed limit, Ethan Fawley, who coordinates the city's Vision Zero traffic and pedestrian safety efforts, told Axios.
- The first citation will be a warning, and subsequent fines will be $40 for the first offense, or $80 for going at least 20 mph over the limit.
- The city will issue citations via mail to the vehicle's owner, who can appeal if their ride was stolen or they weren't driving at the time.
- The fines won't go on drivers' permanent records.
What's next: Though state law authorizes up to 42 cameras in Minneapolis starting Aug. 1, Fawley didn't give an exact date when they'd go live.
- State law also allows the city to use those cameras for red light enforcement.
State of play: Residents can weigh in on where the first five cameras should be placed during two open houses this week — one at Central Library from 4-6pm on Tuesday, and a virtual session at 6pm Thursday.
- The city has unveiled 51 possible locations, all of them hotspots for crashes and injuries.
What they're saying: The cameras are one element of a plan to "reset our norms" around "crazy speeds" on city streets, Fawley said.
- He added the cameras will not be "set up as a 'gotcha' that's going to be overly punitive."
The big picture: Choosing locations for these cameras raises "complex" equity questions, Fawley said.
- Many problem intersections are located in low-income neighborhoods, which could lead to fines against residents with the least ability to pay.
Context: Minneapolis briefly attempted to field a "photo cop" red light camera program two decades ago, but the Minnesota Supreme Court struck it down in 2007.
- The court stopped short of calling it unconstitutional, but ruled the city lacked the necessary authority under state law at the time.
Friction point: The new effort has raised eyebrows among privacy advocates, who note license plate reading systems have been used for surveillance, including by federal immigration agents.
- Fawley said Minneapolis' system will be "very different" from automated systems, which can record every passing car. The city will only record license plate data of violators.
- State law only allows the cameras to capture the car, not identifiable images of the driver.
By the numbers: The city expects the effort to cost $2.9 million over the next two years.