An intersection at a busy Scarborough off-ramp is quietly driving up Toronto’s share of red-light camera violations, leaving one local councillor with no choice but to call for “detailed study” from city staff.
New data analyzed by CTV News earlier this week revealed that more than 140,000 tickets were issued to Toronto drivers last year. At the top of the list is the intersection of Kennedy Road and the Highway 401 eastbound off-ramp at William Kitchen Road, where 5,505 tickets were issued.
- These 10 Toronto intersections generated the most red-light camera fines last year
- Click here for a view of the top 10 map
That is more than double the number of tickets recorded in the intersection in second place located at Adelaide and Parliament streets, which recorded 2,393 violations.
It’s a troubling reality that Coun. Michael Thompson says is an “unfortunate situation.”
“It’s rather disconcerting. It’s an unfortunate situation,” he said. “The area in question is fully signed. It shows that you’re not allowed to make a right hand turn on the red light. However, drivers unfortunately continue to do so.”
A look at road design vs. behavior
The intersection, located near a busy Kennedy Commons plaza, leads Thompson to believe that road design could be a key indicator.
“It’s the design. The intersection is designed to ensure safety,” he said.
“It may appear to drivers that they can just make a right hand turn, because obviously, in Toronto, you can make a right on red. But the problem is that because of the volume of traffic… it creates a dangerous situation.”
He went on to explain that the no-right-on-red rule is intended to “to reduce the potential conflict and fatalities.”
Still, Thompson points out that the numbers last year compared to previous years remain usual.
“In 2017 we only had 104 violations,” he noted, adding that “almost 10 years later, we are at a very significant number.”
Just four years ago, he highlighted that 2022 saw just about 2,200, significantly lower than current levels.
Frustration behind the wheel
Aside from rising figures, the councillor also pointed to congestion as a possible motivator behind risky decisions that create tense moments.
“We live in a city where congestion is a major issue for all of us,” he said. “People are frustrated for the most part travelling in our city.”
But he was clear that note that frustration doesn’t mean you can willingly break the law.
“It is not something that we can condone, because obviously the safety of pedestrians… and the number of vehicles that are traversing that area,” he said, adding that his goal is not to punish drivers but change behaviour.
“We’re not trying to be punitive. We’re trying to be safe,” he said. “We only ask you to be very patient, and patience will actually save you money in these cases.”
According to the city, fines are set at a base price of $325. With the total number of 2025 fines sitting at 140,621, it’s likely that Toronto generated at least $45.7 million in the last year.
Calls for a ‘detailed study’
Given the high number of violations, Thompson said he plans to ask city staff to take a closer look, adding that it’s likely residents could see additional signage to change beheviour.
“As a councillor for 23 years… this is not an intersection or area that has generated complaints, concerns or unusual attention,” he said.
“I will be seeking a detailed response from Toronto Transportation staff and am asking them to prepare a detailed study and site-specific root cause analysis of the intersection.”
