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The city of Minneapolis will soon install speeding cameras at five intersections around the city. 

City staff say the cameras will be running by September. The cameras will sense vehicles going more than ten miles per hour over the speed limit and snap a photo of the back license plate. Regulatory staff then review the photos and send out citations to vehicle owners. 

It’s part of the city’s Vision Zero plan, aimed at reducing traffic accidents. City staff say more than 40 people were killed in the city between 2022 and 2024 in accidents involving clear speeding. 

“All these folks should be alive,” Vision Zero coordinator Ethan Fawley said. “You should be safe traveling around our city. But it’s extra tragic that most of these people killed were not speeding or running a red light themselves, they were killed by somebody else who was.” 

Vehicle owners will get a warning on their first offense. After the warning, they’ll receive a $40 fine for going ten miles per hour over the speed limit, or $80 for going more than 20 over the limit. 

Owners can provide a sworn statement if they weren’t driving the car at the time and can contest the fines in court. They can also opt to take a traffic safety class at no cost instead of paying the fine for their first ticket. Citations won’t appear on driving records.

The speeding camera project was made possible by a 2024 law change at the state Legislature. Lawmakers moved to allow pilot traffic camera programs in Minneapolis and Mendota Heights. The city council approved the project last week. 

“One of the most common concerns my office hears from constituents is reports of unsafe driving and speeding on residential streets,” Council member Katie Cashman said in a statement. “If we truly want to achieve zero pedestrian deaths in Minneapolis, the traffic camera pilot is a step in the right direction.”

Project staff first identified thousands of intersections that were eligible for cameras under the new state law — locations had to be on city roads (not county or state roads), within 2,000 feet of a school and the site of recent crashes. 

From there, staff picked five locations across the city to start the pilot program. Cameras will be on 18th Avenue Northeast near Central Avenue Northeast; Fremont Avenue North near West Broadway Avenue North; 3rd Street North near 1st Avenue North; Chicago Avenue near Franklin Avenue East; and Nicollet Avenue South near 46th Street West. 

Staff said 8-10 percent of drivers speed through those intersections. The city will also install signage near cameras to notify drivers. 

The city has entered a four-year, $12 million contract with the company NovoaGlobal, which will provide and manage the camera system. The city anticipates the program will pay for itself, as money starts coming in from citations. 

“Our goal isn’t to send out citations or generate revenue,” Fawley said. “The goal is to change that unsafe behavior.” 

He said data from other cities is promising; speeding incidents reduced by between 65 and 97 percent in areas near cameras, according to research by city staff.

The pilot project aims to add more speed cameras, and the city’s first red light cameras, in 2026. The city can have a maximum for 42 camera locations operating during the pilot study.

Use the audio player above to listen to a conversation MPR News host Nina Moini had with Vision Zero coordinator Ethan Fawley. The interview was produced by Ellie Roth. 

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The city of Minneapolis will soon install speeding cameras at five intersections around the city. 


Minneapolis to launch traffic camera pilot program

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