Multiple Ontario cities are opposing Premier Doug Ford’s proposal to ban speed cameras and are urging him to reconsider rather than cancel the program entirely. They suggest that if Ford proceeds with the ban, the province should take responsibility for the financial implications.
Ford has made it public that his administration will bring forward a bill this month to prohibit the use of speed cameras throughout Ontario. Despite evidence from regions utilizing the cameras and studies from reputable institutions like the Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) indicating a reduction in speeding incidents, Ford argues that speed cameras are ineffective and simply a revenue-generating tactic for municipalities.
In response, over 20 municipalities have penned a joint letter to the premier and Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, highlighting that the fines collected from speed cameras are reinvested in road safety initiatives. They express concerns that a complete ban on speed cameras would roll back years of safety progress, increase pressure on law enforcement, escalate enforcement expenses, and, most critically, jeopardize lives.
The correspondence includes statements from local leaders such as Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe, Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett, and Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie. They emphasize that if the province moves forward with banning all speed cameras, including those in school zones, it should compensate municipalities for the revenue losses that were previously allocated to traffic management, staff severance, and enhanced policing.
The mayors stress that the primary goal has always been to safeguard the most vulnerable community members, particularly children, by utilizing cameras in school zones. They urge the government to consider allowing municipalities to retain automated speed enforcement (ASE) in these critical areas and collaborate on enhancing the effectiveness, understanding, and community involvement of such programs.