San Jose moving ahead on 33 speed cameras after federal grant dries up

San Jose
City Council Meeting
May 7, 2026

TL;DR

• The city is moving ahead with 33 automated speed cameras this fall after the federal grant it was counting on did not come through. Citation revenue lets the city shift staffing costs out of the general fund, saving about $570,000.
• Trash and junk pickup fees are going up 7% for single-family homes and 4% for multi-family next year. Staff blamed higher resident usage of junk pickup and household hazardous waste programs.
• Three East Side safety corridors with recent fatalities (White Road, Jackson Avenue, and King Road) still lack full funding. King Road has about $8 million of the $15 million it needs.
• A proposal to add paid parking in Willow Glen caught the district's own councilmember off guard. He's now asking for some of the revenue to come back to the neighborhood.
• The airport hit bottom at 10 million annual passengers. Director Mookie Patel doesn't expect a real recovery until 2028.

What happened

This was a budget study session. No votes were taken and no formal actions occurred. Council members questioned staff on the proposed 2026-2027 operating budget for Transportation and Aviation Services and Environmental and Utility Services. Key items discussed:

1. Speed cameras still coming this fall, even though the federal grant is not
   1. The federal grant the city expected to cover the automated speed enforcement program is not going to be approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The city is moving ahead anyway and is wrapping up its contract with the vendor. That vendor also installed cameras in San Francisco and Oakland. Director John Ristow told the council 33 cameras are on track for September deployment.
   2. What this means for you: Under state law, net proceeds from citations must go back into the same corridors for traffic safety improvements. Budget Director Jim Shannon said the revenue also lets the city move staffing costs into the traffic capital program. That generates about $570,000 in general fund savings. Citations work like parking tickets and do not appear on a driver's license.
2. Three East Side safety corridors still waiting on funding
   1. Councilmember Ortiz pressed staff on White Road, Jackson Avenue, and King Road. He said White Road has had multiple crashes in the past month, including fatalities. He has been raising these corridors for the three and a half years he has been in office. Ristow said the projects are in planning and design but lack full funding. King Road is furthest along, with about $8 million secured against an estimated $15 million cost. Some of that came from state money tied to a BART and VTA housing development.
   2. What this means for you: Ristow could not give a date for when any of the three corridors will be built. The next funding round through MTC and VTA is $85 million for the entire Bay Area, available this summer. The city will compete with every other Bay Area jurisdiction for a share. King Road runs through Districts 4, 5, 7, and 8. White Road runs through Districts 4, 5, and 8.
3. Trash and junk pickup fees going up 7% and 4%
   1. The proposed budget raises single-family solid waste fees by 7% and multi-family fees by 4% to cover costs. ESD Director Jeff Provenzano said the increase is driven by more residents using junk pickup and the county's household hazardous waste drop-off program. That costs the city more under its hauler contract.
   2. What this means for you: Higher monthly garbage bills next year. Councilmember Kamei pushed for better outreach in apartment-heavy areas. Tenants there do not always know free junk pickup exists, so they leave mattresses and furniture on the corner instead of calling for pickup. Staff said a manager's budget addendum on free junk pickup, illegal dumping, and Beautify San Jose dumpster days is coming.
4. Willow Glen paid parking proposal blindsides the district councilmember
   1. Councilmember Mulcahy told Ristow on the record that the proposal to add paid parking on Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen showed up in the budget without anyone telling him first. He found out in a briefing and had to tell the Willow Glen Business Association himself. He asked for a return-to-source policy so some percentage of the parking revenue goes back to the neighborhood. He also wants the revenue to fund signage and enforcement against double-parked delivery vehicles. Ristow apologized and said it remains a proposal that can still be shaped.
   2. What this means for you: Paid parking is not a done deal in Willow Glen. If it moves forward, the district councilmember wants the city to put some of the revenue back into the corridor.
5. Airport hit bottom at 10 million passengers; recovery not expected until 2028
   1. Airport Director Mukesh Patel told the council he expects the airport to stay around 10 million annual passengers for the next two years. Jet fuel prices on the West Coast have doubled to over $11.50 a gallon. Business travel has shifted, and Spirit Airlines has gone out of business. The airport carries $1 billion in outstanding debt. It is asking its airlines to approve an additional $4.5 million in next year's budget for elevators, escalators, and similar replacements.
   2. What this means for you: A task force on air service development is forming out of the mayor's March budget message. The airport is also redeveloping retail and lounge facilities. Patel said a major South Bay employer with 34,000 workers has voiced support for nonstop service to New York.

What residents brought up

• None. The City Clerk confirmed no speaker cards were submitted, and no public comment was provided.

Also happened

• The city is moving ahead with the next round of its U.S. Forest Service tree-planting grant, including staffing and tree planting.
• The PG&E partnership agreement is expanding. The current version covers projects of 20 megawatts or larger. Staff is in talks to add projects from 5 to 20 megawatts, which would cover more industrial and manufacturing work.
• A DC fast charging pilot will put five sites into construction later this year. The sites will operate in 2027, mostly on the east side of the city.
• An enhanced street sweeping pilot is being run by the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Services Department together.
• The Environmental Services Department is adding a full-time position to its solid waste enforcement program.
• PFAS cleanup continues at the former fire training facility, with groundwater remediation expected to take another two years.
• Three parking traffic control officer positions are being added to handle citation review for the speed camera program. They will not be deployed to the field initially.

For any updates or corrections, please email steven@polisdesk.com