The nation’s capital has become the most expensive U.S. place for motorists caught speeding by traffic cameras, with $257.8 million in fines assessed in 2025, more than New York City, Philadelphia, or any other major city examined in a new national study.
The October 2026 report by Virginia-based law firm Weisberg & Weisberg ranked the District first in camera fines per resident at $371.66, more than triple the $110.80 recorded in second-place Suffolk, Virginia. Washington’s cameras generated 2,266,775 tickets, averaging $113.73 apiece, while some individual cameras produced more than $25,000 in daily assessed penalties.
“Washington, D.C., is balancing its budget on traffic fines. It’s not about safety. It’s about revenue generation,” said Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), who introduced federal legislation to eliminate the District’s automated enforcement systems.
The study examined cities with populations over 100,000 in states that permit automated speed enforcement. Researchers compared 2025 citation counts and fine amounts, ranking cities by penalties per resident rather than total fines. The per-resident figure measures fines assessed relative to population, not what each resident personally paid.
The District’s $257.8 million exceeded New York City’s $223.2 million despite New York issuing nearly twice as many tickets. Philadelphia ranked sixth at $46.8 million, while Baltimore ranked fourth with $23.1 million. Miami Gardens, Florida, placed third in the per-resident rankings.
The northbound Potomac River Freeway camera near 25th Street NW was among Washington’s most lucrative locations, generating approximately $25,100 in daily fines, according to the report. That would total more than $9 million annually if sustained year-round.
Separate figures compiled by SpeedCams.us identified 377 documented enforcement locations across Washington. A camera along DC-295 near Exit 1 recorded 94,375 violations between September 2025 and August 2026. Another in the 600 block of Kenilworth Avenue NE recorded 78,194, while two cameras in the 2200 block of K Street NW recorded more than 90,000 combined.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has fiercely opposed federal proposals to dismantle the city’s roughly 550 traffic cameras, warning that Washington’s finances depend heavily on their continued operation.
“In addition to the public safety implications, removing the cameras would also create a $1 billion hole in D.C.’s financial plan, which would mean cuts to everyday city services,” Bowser said earlier. “We call on our federal partners to stand with us in prioritizing safety and respecting the District’s ability to govern our own streets.”
District financial records show automated traffic enforcement produced $620.1 million in actual collections during fiscal years 2023 through 2025. The study’s $257.8 million figure represents fines assessed in 2025, not necessarily payments received.
The enormous sums have intensified questions about whether D.C.’s cameras primarily protect residents or provide a dependable source of government revenue.
An earlier published report noted that a Maryland-registered Audi accumulated 891 citations and $259,214 in unpaid fines. Another Virginia-registered vehicle collected 689 tickets. Among the 103 most frequently cited vehicles during fiscal 2025, 92 carried Maryland or Virginia plates.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s office has secured judgments or settlements totaling $608,292 against 15 Maryland and Virginia motorists.
Federal crash records show 189 traffic deaths in D.C. between 2020 and 2024, with speeding contributing to 40% of fatalities. Police reported deaths declining from 52 in 2024 to 25 in 2025. Federal transportation research supports properly operated speed cameras as tools for reducing speeding and crashes.
Noah Weisberg, a partner and founder of the law firm behind the report, questioned the financial incentives created when governments depend on citations.
“When local governments begin projecting millions of dollars in future ticket revenue, they shouldn’t be surprised when taxpayers become suspicious,” Weisberg said. “A camera positioned at a single intersection generating the vast majority of a city’s fine revenue is very hard to defend as a safety-first deployment decision.”
