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Smile, you’re about to be on camera
The city is nearly finished installing speed cameras along its most dangerous thoroughfares, a major milestone in a new pilot to curb elevated traffic deaths, which have earned Long Beach a reputation for being especially dangerous for pedestrians.
The pilot will begin issuing warnings to speeding drivers no later than Oct. 4, with citations to follow after a 60-day warning period (no later than Dec. 3), according to a memo from the city’s director of Public Works released Friday.
The state pilot is advancing in six California cities, including Long Beach, to run speed cameras in high-injury corridors and school zones for five years. Several cities, including San Francisco, have already begun the program and seen notable success.
Under the program, cameras will capture images of a vehicle’s rear license plate when it is traveling 11 mph or more over the posted speed limit. Trained staff review each potential violation before a citation or warning notice is mailed to the registered owner. Fines range from $50 for drivers 11 to 15 mph over the limit to $500 for those going 100 mph or more, with income-based reductions, payment plans and community service options available to offset the cost.
City officials noted that all citation data will be handled by the Department of Public Works and will not be shared with police or other law enforcement agencies. Money left over after covering operating costs must go toward traffic-calming projects within three years.
The rollout comes as Long Beach grapples with a surge in traffic deaths. The city recorded 53 fatal crashes last year, the most since adopting its Vision Zero safety plan in 2020.
Advocacy groups have pointed to dozens of pedestrian, cyclist and scooter deaths in recent years as evidence that speeding remains a leading factor in the city’s most severe collisions.
So far, 16 of the 18 planned cameras are installed, with the final two camera poles expected to arrive in August. A traffic engineering vendor has finished designs for the enforcement devices, electrical upgrades and new signage needed at all 18 sites, and the city is bringing on temporary staff to process the expected surge of violations once the warning period begins.
The work coincides with efforts by state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, who introduced legislation earlier this year to place speed cameras along Pacific Coast Highway locally, a stretch of roadway currently excluded from the pilot program under state law.
Gonzalez has said the highway accounts for a disproportionate share of the city’s speed-related deaths despite making up a small fraction of its roadway network. If the bill passes, Long Beach officials say they would amend the program’s impact report to add cameras along the corridor and bring the change back to the City Council for approval.
Tough budgets and other news to watch
In case you missed the big news last week, the city is headed for some lean spending years, including the first major layoffs in a long time. You’ll see the theme of tightening purse strings a lot in this week’s slate of public meetings:
- Long Beach’s idea to build a memorial for those killed by the coronavirus pandemic is facing setbacks as the city can no longer afford the estimated $1.7 million design, according to a July 31 memo. The project, formed in 2022, called on local artists to create a “Twin Arches” design thought to cost about $620,000. Costs have since ballooned, tied to needed site improvements, utility relocation and delivery.
- The Long Beach Utilities Department is advancing its plans to consolidate its offices into a single campus, according to an update it will share on Thursday. The chosen plan would have the department lease a facility, potentially saving $2.4 million annually, and free up two sites that could be redeveloped or sold for upwards of $40 to $55 million depending on the site.
- The Long Beach Continuum of Care on Wednesday must weigh a new policy on federally funded homeless housing projects, a move tied to HUD’s fiscal year 2026 funding competition, in which the agency may award up to 10 bonus points to CoCs that adopt it. The policy would bar CoC-funded housing projects from operating drug injection or “safe consumption” sites, from knowingly distributing drug paraphernalia on or off property they control, and from knowingly permitting illicit drug use or distribution on that property, including under the premise of harm reduction. Grant-funded facilities would be required to certify their compliance, with corrective action taken if their site is found in violation.
- New recommendations for the city’s controversial fenceline around Billie Jean King Library in downtown, along with the most recent point-in-time count that showed rising homelessness, are expected to come forward during the Homeless Services Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday.
- In need of extra cash it doesn’t exactly have, the city is proposing a plan to set up a $50 million line of credit — backed by three city-owned properties — to pay for capital projects and equipment around the city. In the deal that will reach the Civic Chambers on Wednesday, the city leases three properties to the Finance Authority — the Lincoln Parking Garage, the Broadway Parking Garage, and the pool building at Silverado Park. The Finance Authority then hands off its right to collect those lease payments to Wells Fargo, which agrees to advance the city money — up to $50 million at any one time — whenever the city asks for it, similar to a corporate credit line. In exchange, the city agrees to make monthly “lease payments” back that are more like loan payments in disguise: principal plus interest. The money can be drawn down and paid back repeatedly over about a year, then the city has to start paying down the balance annually until it’s fully repaid by 2036, with some room to extend further if problems come up.
- Long Beach officials are drafting “Renew ’32,” a new five-year street repair plan set to replace the current $1 billion Elevate ’28 program when it concludes in 2027. And it’s looking like money will be tight, offering a poor picture for the future of Long Beach’s roads. The current plan spent $170 million to shrink the city’s backlog of downtrodden roads by 12%, raising its overall Pavement Condition Index score to 61. The next plan, however, will run on a $50 million yearly budget — about half of Elevate ’28’s budget. As a result, officials estimate the citywide PCI will slip back to 56 by 2032, leaving one in three streets in poor condition. Maintaining current pavement quality would require $113 million per year.
ICYMI — California and national news
- Long Beach legalized home restaurants; a chef quickly pushed the idea to its limit (Long Beach Post)
- For first time in 8 years, baby penguin debuts at Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach (LAist)
- Taco Bell was crushing it — then cyclosporiasis hit (Los Angeles Times)
- What is a brand extension? ‘Jeopardy!’ attempts to answer question of TV’s future (Los Angeles Times)