Ontario Premier Doug Ford has rejected a plea from more than 20 mayors in the province to modify, rather than eliminate, the speed camera initiative. Ford has vowed to curb speeding through alternative strategies. The group of mayors, spearheaded by Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, argues that completely discontinuing automated speed cameras would undo the safety progress made in school zones over the years, placing additional strain on law enforcement.
Ford dismissed the speed cameras as mere revenue generators, citing the continuous issuance of tickets as evidence of their failure to effectively deter speeding. In a letter to the mayors, Ford highlighted a significant increase in fines issued by speed cameras in Ontario from 2020 to 2024, amounting to over $52 million.
The Premier criticized municipalities advocating for the retention of speed cameras as “self-serving,” suggesting that implementing physical traffic-calming measures like speed bumps and roundabouts would be more effective in reducing speeds. Ford proposed a plan to introduce traffic-calming infrastructure as a solution to curb speeding behavior.
Data from various municipalities and research from the Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto Metropolitan University indicate that speed cameras have contributed to reducing traffic speeds. Meed Ward expressed concerns that scrapping the program would shift the burden of road safety improvements onto taxpayers instead of offenders.
The mayors proposed potential amendments to the program, such as restricting cameras to school zones, operating them only during school hours, and setting a minimum speed threshold for fines. They emphasized the importance of prioritizing road safety, particularly in protecting children from speeding-related accidents.
While Ford assured municipalities of indemnification for canceling speed camera contracts, he pushed back on covering additional costs beyond a designated fund for alternative traffic-calming initiatives. Ford urged municipalities to seek reimbursement from speed camera operators or utilize the revenues accrued from the program to cover cancellation expenses.
The Premier’s stance reflects a firm commitment to phasing out speed cameras in favor of more proactive measures to address speeding concerns.