This browser does not support the Video element.
Minneapolis considering expanding speed cameras
The City of Minneapolis is considering adding more traffic cameras as data shows it's slowed down speeders. FOX 9's Corin Hoggard has more.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Data is starting to reach city council members showing how drivers have behaved before and after traffic safety cameras went up across Minneapolis as part of a newly legalized pilot program.
Mendota Heights is also part of the pilot and in both cities, the results show far fewer speeders on the road.
Speed cameras showing results
By the numbers:
When Minneapolis launched its cameras last October, 3.2% of drivers were caught going 10 mph or more over the speed limit, and 0.23% were going 20 mph or more over.
Since then, speeding has dropped at every single location, including a 69% reduction in drivers going 20 mph too fast.
What we know:
The Minnesota Legislature approved a traffic safety camera pilot program in 2024 for Minneapolis, Mendota Heights and highway construction zones.
Minneapolis currently has eight cameras operating at five locations.
Mendota Heights is the only other city currently allowed to use them.
In Mendota Heights, a camera on Delaware Avenue snaps a photo of any car going more than 10 mph over the speed limit. That happened about 3,100 times in the first month after the camera arrived in late June, and about 1,000 times the month after.
Neighbors there say they've seen burnouts in protest, but they've also started to feel safer walking around the neighborhood because cars are going slower.
What they're saying:
Minneapolis Council Member Michael Rainville says the numbers speak for themselves.
"We're seeing incredible reduction in speeding and red light running which is fantastic," said Rainville.
He's pushing for more cameras, pointing to public safety as the driving reason.
"We want public safety on our roads, we want pedestrian safety, but we do not want our police interacting on these traffic stops and the way to do that is through technology," said Rainville.
How the program works
Dig deeper:
Speeding is neck-and-neck with drunk driving as the leading cause of deadly crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The traffic safety camera program was designed with that in mind.
The first offense is a warning. After that, fines are $40 for going 10 mph or more over the limit and $80 for going 20 mph or more.
The citation won't go on a driver's record unless they're a commercial truck driver. Warnings and citations include photos of the license plate and a wide-angle shot, but the law protects that data.
If the registered owner wasn't the one driving, they can say so and the citation goes away.
What we don't know:
The city had planned to add as many as 11 more cameras, including some that would catch red-light runners, but those plans haven't solidified yet.
City leaders are expected to decide soon whether to move forward with the expansion.
The Source: FOX 9's Corin Hoggard reported this story live from Minneapolis.