The Ontario government is going to give municipalities “a lot of money” to implement traffic calming measures to slow down drivers, including turnabouts and speed bumps, instead of using photo radar cameras, according to Premier Doug Ford.
The premier has called on Ontario municipalities to scrap automated speed enforcement cameras, calling the cameras a “tax grab.”
Speaking to reporters in Russell, Ont., on Monday, Ford said he will be joined by several mayors later this week for an announcement on photo radar cameras.
“If, really, the strategy is to slow people down, we’re going to be giving municipalities across the province a lot of money to put in all sorts of street calming methods, from little turnabouts, from speed bumps to flashing signs. That’s going to slow people down,” Ford said.
“The speed traps do not slow people down. They may slow them within the community, but there are so many other people coming throughout the community. So, if our goal is to slow people down, which I think is very important by school zones, we’re going to give them the money to put the infrastructure in place that will slow people down.”
Ford says Ontario can come up with a “lot of strategies” to slow down motorists rather than “dinging the people with fines.”
Last week, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police expressed support for the photo radar camera program.
“Employing ASE tools has been proven to reduce speeding, change driver behaviour, and make our roads safer for everyone — drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and especially children and other vulnerable road users,” the association said.
The City of Ottawa currently has 60 photo radar cameras in school zones, community safety zones and “high speed” areas. The city is spending $1.7 million to install 24 new cameras this fall.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said the evidence shows the cameras reduce speeding.
“We’re happy to work with the province on some of the details around the automated speed enforcement program; maybe the threshold of which a fine is issued, maybe the locations where the cameras are placed — we’re open to amending the program,” Sutcliffe said.
“But the evidence shows that it’s effective, it works, it helps reduce speed and it makes the streets safer for our residents.”
The City of Ottawa’s program manager of automated speed enforcement (ASE) told CTV News Ottawa that between January and August, the revenue from the photo radar camera program totalled $20 million.
Statistics available on the City of Ottawa’s website show 190,439 tickets for speeding were issued through the automated speed enforcement camera program in the January to July period. The statistics for August were not available.
“He says it’s a cash grab. I think it’s a safety matter, particularly in school zones but not only in school zones,” Reid Hodgins said reacting to the premier’s comments. “I don’t like Premier Ford’s attitude about it because I think they do help. The numbers seem to show they slow people down; they slow me down so I would say they need to stay.”
“There are only so many police that can enforce those areas as well too and I don’t think there’s enough to enforce all those areas,” said Peter Taylor. “Personally, I think that they’re working and I think especially around school zones and in areas where there are a lot of people they should be used.”
“I think either way it’s better for the population if we’re not speeding and we’re getting caught, it deters people… but it’s better for people not to spend so much money on the fines,” said Darien Cromwell.
Over the weekend, a photo radar camera in Orléans was vandalized with spray paint. It’s the eighth incident of vandalism involving cameras in Ottawa this year.
“I do not condone any vandalism of any kind; that should never happen. It just shows you how frustrated people are,” Ford said.
With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Katie Griffin and CTV News Toronto
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