Long Beach, CA — As former Chair of the California Senate Transportation Committee, Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) played a key role in advancing and shaping California’s speed safety pilot program under Assembly Bill 645, authored by Assemblymember Laura Friedman. The program is designed to improve public safety in communities impacted by dangerous speeding.  

As part of her leadership on transportation safety, Senator Gonzalez advocated for the inclusion of the City of Long Beach and other cities in the pilot program to help address preventable injuries and fatalities caused by excessive speeding. In 2023 alone, there were 380 speed-related crashes resulting in fatalities or injuries in Long Beach, underscoring the urgent need for proven, data-driven safety interventions.

Senator Gonzalez was also a leading voice in securing strong geographic diversity and equity provisions within the legislation, ensuring speed safety cameras are deployed based on demonstrated safety need, such as high-injury corridors and areas with elevated crash rates, rather than disproportionately impacting low-income communities. These safeguards help ensure fair, effective, and community-centered transportation safety policies.

The pilot program is informed by existing research demonstrating the effectiveness of automated speed enforcement. Studies show collision reductions of up to 49 percent following implementation. There is also strong precedent in other localities nationwide. In New York City, for example, where 750 speed cameras were deployed in school zones beginning in June 2020, speeding at fixed camera locations dropped by an average of 73 percent by December 2021. 

“I am pleased to see this pilot program advance to help protect people’s safety and save lives on our roads,” said Senator Lena Gonzalez. “This effort reflects years of hard work by advocates and community members, and I was proud to help shape AB 645 as former Senate Transportation Chair. I look forward to seeing implementation and meaningful improvements in the year ahead for the safety and wellbeing of Long Beach families and visitors.”

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Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez proudly represents one million residents in California’s 33rd Senate District, which encompasses Southeast Los Angeles, the City and Port of Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, and Catalina Island. As Senate Majority Leader and Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, she is a dedicated advocate on key priorities that impact Californians from economic development and environmental justice to LGBTQ+ and women’s rights, digital equity and more. Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez has championed major policies, including broadband for all, expanding paid sick leave, advancing clean transportation incentives, and ending neighborhood oil drilling. She lives in Long Beach with her family. To learn more, visit www.sen.ca.gov/gonzalez.