PBOT will upgrade, expand enforcement camera program with new supplier and operator – BikePortland

Over the past week or so, several people contacted BikePortland with reports that automated speed enforcement cameras in their neighborhood had either fallen into disrepair and/or had been removed. In digging around about what might be behind this, I learned some pretty big news: the City of Portland has finally inked a contract with a new company to supply and operate the transportation bureau’s speed and intersection safety enforcement camera program.

I say “finally,” because problems with the original vendor have come up several times since at least 2021. Back then, a former Portland Bureau of Transportation Commissioner told BikePortland during an interview that the relationship was so bad that the city had considered firing the company. PBOT has never publicly acknowledged a major issue with its previous vendor, but has referred to “supply chain delays” as one of the reasons its camera enforcement program has not grown as expected.

Today PBOT says they and their partners at the Portland Police Bureau will work with NovoaGlobal to supply and operate their program with, “the most advanced automated technology available.” “NovoaGlobal will be the City of Portland’s sole supplier and operator for the Speed and Intersection Safety Camera program, as well as PPB Traffic Division’s two mobile speed enforcement vans,” reads a statement from PBOT today.

NovoaGlobal is based in Orlando, Florida. The company’s website features automated enforcement tolls for crosswalks, school speed zones, oversized vehicle identification, and more. They’ve been hired to supply and operate to cameras all over the U.S. including Washington D.C., Tacoma, and Beaverton.

PBOT crews are currently at work replacing all 32 existing camera locations and retrofitting the PPB’s two mobile vans. The new camera installation work is projected to be complete by November 1st. While the work is being done, PBOT announced today they will add three more camera locations:

• SE Powell Boulevard at 34th Avenue (westbound)
• NE 82nd Avenue at Fremont Street (southbound)
• NE 82nd Avenue at Klickitat Street (northbound)

PBOT also says that by January of 2026, they’ll install two speed safety cameras on SE Powell Boulevard at or near 60th Avenue. After that, the next two locations will be on SW Barbur Boulevard at the 5900 to 6100 blocks.

This doubling down on camera enforcement shows how confident PBOT is in the technology. PBOT claims that speeding at all locations has dropped by 59% at all camera location since the first ones were installed in 2016. And for an agency often embattled with criticisms, enforcement cameras are actually popular. In a November 2024 survey commissioned by the City of Portland between 72% and 82% of respondents said they support the cameras.

These cameras are pillars of PBOT’s Vision Zero program and will likely be a point of discussion at the new Vision Zero Task Force being assembled as part of a renewed effort to save lives spearheaded by City Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane. With renewed political support, a new supplier and operator lined up, and a more streamlined method to review camera citations, this technology is finally poised to reach its potential.