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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Agreement with American Traffic Solutions, Inc. (dba Verra Mobility) for the design, installation, maintenance, citation processing, and operation of automated speed safety camera systems.
1. Resolution dispensing with competitive bidding and authorizing the City Manager or a designee to execute an agreement with American Traffic Solutions, Inc. (dba Verra Mobility) (“Verra”) to implement and operate automated speed safety camera systems for a term of five years with two optional one-year extensions, in a total amount not to exceed $3,405,500, either by (1) piggybacking on the City of Oakland’s agreement to provide information technology products and related services with Verra (“Oakland Agreement”), or (2) contracting with Verra directly at the same fixed fee per month per camera location for the goods and services set forth in the Oakland Agreement.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for December 16, 2025 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Glendale has been selected to participate in the five-year Speed Safety System Pilot Program under Assembly Bill 645 (AB 645), which authorizes the use of automated speed enforcement in six California cities to help reduce speeding and speed-related collisions. Building on the City Council’s April 29, 2025, adoption of the Speed Safety System Impact Report (Exhibit D) and Use Policy (Exhibit E), the proposed action is that the Council adopt a resolution to dispense with competitive bidding and authorize the City Manager, or a designee, to enter into a five-year agreement, with two optional one-year extensions, with Verra Mobility in an amount not to exceed $3,405,500.
This agreement would provide near-turnkey implementation and operation of speed safety camera systems at the nine locations identified in the Impact Report.
By leveraging the competitively bid City of Oakland agreement (Exhibit A), which expressly allows other agencies to utilize it with written consent, the City can take advantage of favorable unit pricing and accelerate deployment while remaining consistent with the legislative framework and program requirements. The selection of Verra via this approach is intended to maximize the benefit of the limited-term pilot. Verra Mobility is a nationally recognized automated traffic enforcement provider with more than 20 years of experience and currently operating the City/County of San Francisco program, as well. 9a2
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RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution dispensing with competitive bidding and authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with Verra Mobility to implement and operate automated speed safety camera systems for a term of five years with two optional one-year extensions, in a total amount not to exceed $3,405,500, either by (1) piggybacking on the Oakland Agreement, or (2) contracting with Verra directly at the same fixed fee per month per camera location for the goods and services set forth in the Oakland Agreement.
ANALYSIS
AB 645 establishes strict requirements that any participating city must meet before deploying automated speed cameras. The law requires adoption of a Speed Safety System Use Policy and an Impact Report by the city’s governing body, both made available for public review at least 30 days in advance. AB 645 mandates a 30-day information campaign before enforcement and an initial 60-day warning period, during which violators receive warnings instead of fines that range from $50 to $500. Images must only capture vehicles’ rear license plates (not drivers or passengers), and all photos and records are kept confidential and used only for the program’s purposes. The City chose its camera locations based on clear safety criteria. Staff began with 16 candidate sites (using crash history, speeding data, and school zone locations from Glendale’s Local Road Safety Plan) and narrowed them to nine final sites that provide a geographic and socioeconomic balance citywide, with many near schools. The Use Policy and Impact Report were both adopted by the City Council on April 29, 2025.
Recently Awarded RFP Results
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the City of Oakland each ran a competitive selection process to choose a vendor for its proposed speed safety camera systems.
SFMTA RFP - SFMTA issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on May 31, 2024, for its 33 systems. SFMTA received three proposals:
-Verra Mobility: $7,425,000 for a five-year period or $3,750 per camera per month -NovoaGlobal, Inc: $11,781,000 for a five-year period or $5,950 per camera per month -Elovate: $12,127,500 for a five-year period or $6,125 per camera per month SFMTA staff rated proposals based on a best-value evaluation process, which included written proposals and oral interviews. Staff recommended awarding the contract to Verra Mobility since it ranked the highest for every evaluation criterion.
City of Oakland RFP - Oakland issued an RFP on December 24, 2024, for its 18 systems. Oakland received two proposals:
-Verra Mobility: $4,860,000 for a five-year period or $4,500 per camera per month -Elovate: $8,975,412 for a five-year period or $8,311 per camera per month 9a3
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Oakland staff rated proposals based on experience, technical specifications, oral/solution demonstration (interviews), and cost. Oakland awarded the contract to Verra Mobility based on its depth of experience globally, experience implementing a similar AB 645 program for SFMTA, cost competitiveness, partnerships with local subconsultants, and for being a community-based organization.
Advantages of Verra Mobility
Selecting Verra Mobility as Glendale’s speed camera vendor offers advantages. Verra Mobility operates nationally with over 20 years of experience and approximately 90 speed or red-light camera programs across North America. Verra currently operates the five largest metropolitan speed enforcement programs in the United States. Verra was the vendor selected by SFMTA to implement the first AB 645 speed camera pilot in the state, and it is also the chosen vendor for Oakland’s program. This means Verra is already working within the framework of California’s pilot legislation and has first-hand knowledge of the law’s operational, legal, and reporting nuances. Glendale stands to benefit from Verra’s learning curve in those cities, providing a near-turnkey solution that has been tested in California, reducing risk for Glendale’s program.
Another key advantage is the company’s integration with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the court systems. Verra maintains a nationwide network that is integrated with all 50 state DMVs for license plate lookup. The vendor provides a secure web portal through which individuals can view their violation photos and instructions and can generate electronic evidence packages for court use as needed. This end-to-end integration streamlines the program and minimizes burdens on city staff. The company will manage all critical components of operations including: system installation, maintenance, image processing, citation mailing, payment processing, and a multilingual customer service center. Verra’s scale and resources also mean greater reliability and support when needed.
Utilizing the City of Oakland Contract
The City of Oakland’s contract aligns more closely with Glendale’s requirements than the SFMTA contract because it involves installing and modifying pole infrastructure to support the camera systems. By leveraging the City of Oakland’s RFP and contract, Glendale can secure highly favorable terms and an accelerated timeline for implementation. Oakland’s competitive process locked in pricing that is advantageous ($4,500 per camera per month) for a near-turnkey operation, which Glendale can utilize for its own program either by “piggybacking” or by contracting with Verra directly at the same fixed fee per camera per month. Utilizing the Oakland contract structure by piggybacking assures Glendale a “pre-proven” scope of work. However, piggybacking requires the prior written consent of the City of Oakland, which staff has requested but has not received as of the date of this report.
Whether Glendale piggybacks or contracts with Verra directly, its pricing—which Verra has committed in writing to honor—is significantly lower than what less-experienced vendors proposed, indicating that Verra’s larger national portfolio allows economies of scale. In practical terms, leveraging Oakland’s contract means that Glendale avoids the 9a4
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lengthy process of conducting its own RFP, benefitting instead from Oakland’s competitive solicitation, and can proceed immediately to contract negotiation and deployment, reducing the project timeline by several months.
Summary of Oakland’s Contract Scope of Work
Staff reviewed the City of Oakland’s agreement with Verra Mobility. Oakland’s contract is a turnkey, design-build-operate-maintain agreement for 18 automated speed enforcement systems under AB 645. Verra provides system engineering and design services, which include site surveys, working with city staff on exact camera placement and signage, and managing all permitting and utility coordination. Verra will supply and install all equipment, including the cameras, housings, poles, and necessary electrical or networking connections, which include both in-the-field hardware and back-end software.
Each camera site is set up to monitor both directions of traffic, so Oakland’s 18 sites equate to 36 camera units deployed citywide. Once installation is complete, Verra Mobility operates and maintains the system daily: this includes regular calibration and testing of the cameras, preventative maintenance, and repairs if any equipment malfunctions. The contract specifies performance standards (e.g., uptime and image clarity) that the vendor must meet to ensure the system’s accuracy and reliability.
Special Considerations
Exhibit B is a letter from Verra Mobility, confirming that the vendor agrees to honor all pricing, terms, and scope of services from the Oakland contract for the City of Glendale’s program. The letter also includes special considerations for the City of Glendale to delay billing the pass-through postage fees until 90 days after the warning period starts.
Contract Costs
The proposed five-year contract with Verra Mobility has a not-to-exceed cost of $2,432,500, which equates to approximately $486,500 per year for program operations.
With the two optional one-year extensions, the total not-to-exceed amount is $3,405,500.
This expenditure covers the vendor’s full scope of services, including camera equipment installation, maintenance, back-end citation processing, and program support for up to nine system locations. Funding for the pilot program has been included in the Public Works Department’s FY25-26 budget. No new General Fund appropriation is being requested. Any citation revenue generated by the program will be used to offset operational costs, with surplus funds dedicated to traffic-calming measures in the city.
The program is intended to be financially self-sustaining over time; however, the annual contract cost will be requested during the fiscal year budget adoption process.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
Glendale’s Speed Safety Camera pilot was shaped by extensive stakeholder engagement, as documented in the Impact Report and Use Policy. The Department of Public Works conducted broad community outreach including an online survey, a virtual town hall, and an in-person workshop with English, Spanish, Armenian, and Korean 9a5
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interpreters. Public Works also coordinated with internal partners such as Police, Fire, the Information Technology Department, and the City Attorney’s Office. The Transportation and Parking Commission also reviewed the draft documents, provided feedback on locations and evaluation metrics, and voted to recommend the adoption of both documents.
Coordination with other Cities
Since the passage of AB 645, Glendale staff have actively participated in a collaborative interagency working group with the other five pilot cities – San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, and Long Beach. This group convenes monthly advisory meetings to share progress updates, technical knowledge, and lessons learned as each city develops its speed safety camera program. In these meetings, agency representatives trade information on everything from drafting Use Policies to public messaging strategies.
Glendale has greatly benefited from lessons learned by other cities, especially San Francisco and Oakland, since they are slightly ahead in deploying their programs. A key area of knowledge transfer has been the technical and procedural adaptations made by Verra Mobility to meet AB 645’s requirements. For instance, staff learned that Verra Mobility successfully configured its system to meet the tight citation timeline mandated by the bill. This was possible because Verra had expedited its integration with California’s DMV system to successfully retrieve information necessary to cite vehicle owners. By learning from San Francisco’s and Oakland’s early experiences, Glendale is positioned to implement a speed safety camera program that leverages the collective wisdom of all six pilot cities.
FISCAL IMPACT
The contract with Verra Mobility for the design, installation, maintenance, citation processing, and operation of automated speed safety camera systems will cost approximately $486,500 per year, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $3,405,500, which was included as a part of the FY 2025-26 budget. No new appropriation is being requested at this time. The City Council approved funding is outlined below:
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$ 486,500 GL: 43110-1010-PWD-7516-P0000 General Fund
Department Cost Center Program
Public Works
Department
Traffic Signals
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
The activity under consideration is categorically exempt either as a Class 1 project pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301, which consists, among other things, of minor alterations to existing public facilities or mechanical equipment; or, in the alternative, as a Class 3 project pursuant to 15303, which consists, among other things, of the construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities. In any event, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment; thus, it is exempt from CEQA pursuant to 9a6
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CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. Direct staff to prepare and publish a unique RFP to solicit bids from qualified speed safety camera vendors. This alternative would significantly delay the implementation of Glendale’s speed safety camera program. The earliest deployment of the program would be pushed back by the time required for proposal solicitation, evaluation, vendor selection, and Council approval of a new contract.
This alternative compromises the timely rollout of an important traffic safety initiative and could result in higher costs and less favorable terms than those available through the existing competitively bid cooperative contract.
2. The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Daniel Hernandez, Director of Public Works
Prepared by:
Sarkis Oganesyan, Assistant Director of Public Works/City Engineer Pastor Casanova, T.E., Principal Traffic Engineer
Arek Harmandayan, T.E., Senior Traffic Engineer
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit A: City of Oakland Contract -American Traffic Solutions, Inc. DBA Verra Mobility Exhibit B: Contract Letter from Verra Mobility
Exhibit C: AB-645 Speed Camera System Nine Locations
Exhibit D: AB-645 Speed Safety System Impact Report
Exhibit E: AB-645 Speed Safety System Use Policy