Map: See Where Minneapolis' New Speed Cameras Could Go

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — More than 17 years after the Minnesota Supreme Court shut down Minneapolis' "photo cop" program, speed enforcement cameras are making a return.

With new authorization from the Minnesota Legislature, the city is moving forward with a pilot program as part of its Vision Zero traffic safety initiative. The program is set to launch as early as August 2025.

Initially, cameras will be installed at about five locations, with the pilot running through July 2029. The program may expand to up to 42 locations and could eventually include red-light enforcement.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is also interested in the technology.

The key pilot features of the program include:

• Enforcement: A warning is given for the first offense. Fines are $40 for speeds 10-19 mph over the limit and $80 for 20+ mph over. Vehicle owners are not liable if the car was stolen or driven by someone else. Violations do not affect a driver's record.
• Privacy: Cameras capture only the back license plate, not people, and are used strictly for traffic enforcement.
• Program Revenue: Any revenue must be allocated to traffic safety improvements.
• Oversight: Minneapolis traffic control agents verify violations, and the program will undergo independent evaluation before deciding on continuation.

Potential Camera Locations

State law requires that cameras be:

• Within 2,000 feet of a school
• Addressing a traffic safety concern
• Fairly distributed across the city
• Identified through a study incorporating community input, crash data, speeds, and equity

Minneapolis Public Works has identified 51 potential locations that meet these criteria. Community feedback will help determine final placements. For now, only city-controlled streets are under consideration, though Hennepin County and state roads may be included in the future.

Learn more about the pilot program here.

Why speed cameras?

A 2022 MnDOT report found that crashes in work zones are increasing statewide, and "simply lowering the posted speeds will not change driver behavior, because drivers will reduce speeds only if they perceive a need to do so."

Between 2018 and 2020, Minnesota recorded 7,403 work zone crashes. Of those, 122 of the crashes caused a death or a serious injury to either a worker, driver, or someone else, authorities said.

And Minneapolis officials said that between 2017 and 2021, an average of 150 people each year suffered life-changing injuries or were killed in traffic crashes on the city's streets. In 2021, speeding was a factor in 65 percent of fatal crashes, according to officials.

The Federal Highway Administration says speed cameras can reduce injury crashes by up to 47 percent on busy streets. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives automated enforcement its highest effectiveness rating.

Speed cameras also eliminate the need for "officer interaction," a Minneapolis report noted. The city said it will prioritize equity and privacy in any speed camera program it implements.

At least nineteen states and Washington D.C. use cameras to reduce speeding. The technology is deployed through:

• "Fixed units," or one stationary camera looking at one location
• "Point-to-Point" units, where multiple cameras are used to capture average speed over a certain distance
• "Mobile units," or portable cameras mounted in a car or trailer

Critics of camera enforcement technology raise privacy concerns, particularly regarding the photographs used as evidence, and argue that the system can be applied in a racially biased manner.

Opponents also contend that the presence of cameras may lead drivers to abruptly brake when approaching an intersection, increasing the risk of rear-end collisions.