Assemblymember Chiu unveils AB 342 to pilot automated speed enforcement in San Francisco and San Jose

Assemblymember David Chiu introduced legislation on April 5, 2017, proposing a five‑year pilot to let San Francisco and San Jose use automated speed enforcement (ASE) on streets with documented histories of collisions caused by speeding. "Automated speed enforcement has given cities a proven tool to dramatically reduce speeding and fatal traffic incidents," Chiu said when announcing the Safe Streets Act (AB 342).

San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo joined Chiu at a press event at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, backing the bill as part of Vision Zero efforts to reduce traffic deaths to zero. Mayor Lee noted the city spends about $35 million a year responding to crash victims at ZSFG and called ASE one of the tools to reduce those costs and harms. Liccardo said many U.S. cities — including New York, Denver and Portland — have used similar systems and seen meaningful reductions in speeding.

Family members of crash victims gave emotional testimony about the consequences of high-speed collisions. Julie Mitchell of Families for Safe Streets described losing her 21‑year‑old to a preventable crash and said the group is committed to passing ASE. Alvin Lester, speaking for his son Aman, and Jenny Yu, whose mother suffered severe brain injury in a speeding crash, likewise urged lawmakers to act. "We are here to put an end to these preventable tragedies," Jenny Yu said.

Medical and city officials emphasized the public-health evidence. Dr. Lucy Kornblith, a trauma fellow at ZSFG, said the hospital treats roughly 4,000 trauma patients a year, nearly half from traffic collisions, and cited the heavy human and medical cost. Chief William Scott of the San Francisco Police Department said ASE would complement SFPD speed‑reduction tactics and provide an additional tool to change driver behavior.

Chiu outlined pilot details included in the bill: ASE would target streets with documented high rates of severe collisions and would focus on drivers exceeding the limit by a significant margin. The bill proposes safeguards and an implementation plan for local agencies to operate cameras while addressing privacy, equity and due-process concerns; Chiu and allied officials said they would work with community groups, public‑health experts and law‑enforcement agencies on details.

Speakers also cited evidence from other jurisdictions: Chiu and Liccardo referred to double‑digit percentage drops in speeding where ASE has been deployed. Cheryl Brinkman, chair of the SFMTA board, said the agency would administer ASE if the state grants authority. The bill faces opposition and will need support in the State Legislature to become law.

The press event ended with an invitation to media for individual interviews; no legislative vote occurred at the event. Supporters urged residents to sign petitions and contact state legislators as AB 342 moves through committee and the Legislature.