Nearly every three minutes, on average, Phoenix’s photo enforcement cameras snap a lead-footed driver speeding through city streets.
That’s amounted to tens of thousands of recorded violations in the first four months that the city has enforced its speed radar program.
Only about one in 10 of those speeding tickets have been paid so far, local court data showed.
Phoenix revived the controversial initiative on Feb. 23, placing nine cameras in fixed locations and rotating another eight, namely in 15-mph school zones during the school year. Police started ticketing drivers on March 25.
Here’s what the cameras have captured since.
How fast are speedy drivers going?
As of July 30, there have been 65,371 citations issued to lead-footed drivers caught by the city’s speed cameras, according to citation data that Phoenix Municipal Court provided.
Most went to those speeding between 11 and 15 mph over the limit.
Depending on the violation, drivers paid anywhere between $192 and nearly $500.
How much does a Phoenix speeding ticket cost?
Here’s how fast the drivers went and how much their tickets cost:
- 3,751 of them were for those caught going 1 to 9 mph over, a $192 fine.
- 48,777 were for drivers speeding between 11 and 15 mph over, a $201 fine.
- 9,842 drivers were cited for going 16 to 20 mph over the speed limit, a $221 fine.
- And 3,001 people were caught traveling at least 21 mph over. Tickets for those violations range from $221 to $498.
How much money has Phoenix collected from speed cameras?
Of the total citations issued as of late July, only 7,657 of them have been paid, according to the court.
That’s allowed the city to collect $1.67 million during the first four months of enforcement, the court said.
Among the speeding tickets, another 55,521 were mailed and went unanswered, or are in the pre-arraignment phase, where the driver can pay the fine, request traffic school or challenge the violation, the court said. Verra Mobility, the city’s contractor, hires private companies to serve the unanswered tickets in person.
Nearly 1,500 other citations have been dismissed, while the rest have made or are making their way through the court.
Who’s gotten the most tickets and where?
It’s unclear what types of vehicles were cited the most and which cameras caught them speeding.
The Republic requested such data from the Phoenix Police Department and the Street Transportation Department. Neither could provide that information, both said.
Police explained that it doesn’t store that type of data, which comes from Verra Mobility. The department stated that it’s merely an “intermediary” to transfer files between Verra and the Arizona Department of Administration.
How much did Phoenix spend on the contract?
Phoenix leaders green-lit plans to revive the controversial photo enforcement program in October 2024.
A year ago last month, they officially approved a $12 million contract with Vera to install the cameras along some of the city’s most dangerous roads.
Here’s where cameras are currently located, as of July 27:
- Thunderbird Road: 35th Ave to Interstate 17
- 32nd Street: Greenway Road to Bell Road
- Thunderbird Road: I-17 to 19th Avenue
- Seventh Street: Thomas Road to Indian School Road
- Indian School Road: 83rd Avenue to 75th Avenue
- 51st Avenue: Van Buren Street to Interstate 10
- Baseline Road: 16th Street to 24th Street
- Bell Road: I-17 to 19th Avenue
- Seventh Avenue: Indian School Road to Camelback Road
- Missouri Avenue: 99th Avenue to 101st Avenue
- Chandler Boulevard: Desert Foothills Parkway to Sixth Street
- Thunderbird Road: Seventh Street to Cave Creek Road
- 19th Avenue: Peoria Avenue to Cactus Road
Reporting by Shawn Raymundo, Arizona Republic
