WELLINGTON COUNTY – A one-year pilot program evaluating the effectiveness of automated speed enforcement cameras in seven Wellington County school zones is meeting an untimely demise.
The Doug Ford government banned the cameras in legislation passed on Oct. 30, which requires cameras to be out of operation by Nov. 14.
The same government introduced automated speed cameras in community safety zones in 2019.
The premier has since called the cameras a “municipal cash grab” and “nothing but a tax grab.” Ford rejected a plea in a letter to keep the cameras and make them fairer to taxpayers, which was signed by 22 mayors outside of the county.
Some schools boards, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Automobile Association, the Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto Metropolitan University have also backed the cameras.
Wellington County council previously selected Alberta-based Global Traffic Group for this year’s cost-neutral trial run.
County roads committee chair and Mapleton Mayor Gregg Davidson is a staunch supporter of automated ticketing. His successful 2022 motion at council is responsible for the pilot.
Davidson suggested the majority want the cameras and said the province instead favours “law breakers.”
County Warden and Guelph/Eramosa Mayor Chris White said adjustments would have been made had the pilot finished in the new year.
“The whole idea behind the pilot was to see what worked and what didn’t,” White said.
County councillor and roads committee chair Gregg Davidson, centre, is a staunch supporter of automated ticketing. His successful 2022 motion at county council is responsible for Wellington County’s automated speed enforcement pilot. He appeared here with Minto Mayor Dave Turton, left, and Centre Wellington Mayor Shawn Watters at the unveiling of a warning sign on Belsyde Avenue in Fergus in January as the first cameras went live. Advertiser file photo
County data collected and provided to the province from five camera locations between Jan. 15 and May 31 suggests average speeds decreased after the cameras were installed.
“There’s no doubt that these cameras would have been an asset in specific areas,” White said.
The warden suggested cameras allowed relocation of police resources and said local data has underscored the prevalence of speeding in certain areas.
On the other hand, drivers avoided the cameras by navigating through adjacent neighbourhoods, White said, and speeding remains the top complaint among county residents.
“We would have taken a look at the data, taken a look at the positives and the negatives, and tried to make some changes,” he said.
The warden argued various approaches are needed, including automated enforcement, increased speed limits, signage and traffic-calming measures.
White said the cameras created “a good revenue stream” for county capital projects as local government struggles to fund an infrastructure deficit.
At least $18.7 million in fines have been issued over a nine-month period between mid January and Sept. 30. Just over 224,000 fines were issued in the same period, averaging about $83 per infraction. Of the tickets issued, 56,971 went unpaid as of October.
In April county council decided the roads department would get the county’s 38-per-cent cut of ticket revenue – about $7 million to the end of September – to pay for infrastructure and safety improvements. ”
At an Oct. 14 meeting the county roads committee earmarked $4 million in speed camera revenue for six projects throughout the county, none of which are in school zones.
Automated speed enforcement cameras are located in seven community safety zones, where there are schools along Wellington County roads. The cameras are required by the province to be out of operation by Nov. 14. Wellington County map illustration
Wellington North Mayor Andy Lennox said the township was “eagerly” considering using the cameras as a tool to slow drivers down in “vulnerable areas like schools.”
A pilot project experimenting with lane delineators and increased signage on municipal roads there is ongoing.
Options are limited and police can’t be everywhere, said Lennox, also the county’s police board chair.
“We’ve done a variety of things … we’re really struggling,” he said.
Without camera enforcement some local mayors have called for more police in school zones, but a Wellington County OPP spokesperson said in a statement that efforts to enforce the law are unchanged.
The OPP deferred to the county in the statement, saying police are committed to working with county officials on road safety.
“How the province expects us to help manage these situations, I’m left in the dark,” Lennox said.
The province has said it will fund municipal traffic-calming measures, though it did not provide details.
Lennox was county warden when Davidson’s motion on automated speed enforcement was carried.
“I didn’t love the program,” Lennox admitted, explaining the cameras are a hard enforcement tool without room for leeway and personal judgement.
But he advocated for them as a necessary and effective tool in the fight against speeding.
“We budgeted for $1 million in revenue,” Lennox said, suggesting the millions in fines since cameras went live emphasizes the prevalence of speeding.
“We had no concept of the magnitude of the issue.”
Lennox speculated speed cameras would have become a permanent fixture here, albeit with changes made to provide more flexibility, such as the time of day when cameras were active, and adjustments to the speed required to trigger a ticket.
Despite flaws with the program, Lennox said throwing everything out is the wrong approach.
Automated speed enforcement cameras like this one can no longer be used to ticket drivers as of Nov. 14 after the province outlawed the cameras. It’s unclear what will happen to the cameras in the county, which are owned by Alberta-based Global Traffic Group. Advertiser file photo
Other mayors in lower-tier municipalities told the Advertiser the province is taking a step back on addressing road safety in school zones.
Erin Mayor Michael Dehn called the province’s decision “ridiculous,” while Minto Mayor Dave Turton called it “disappointing.”
Puslinch Mayor James Seeley said it’s “deeply disappointing.”
Seeley said a small minority of drivers complained about the cameras.
He suggested speed calming measures, like speed humps, would result in more complaints and cause problems with snow removal and responding emergency vehicles.
Centre Wellington Mayor Shawn Watters did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Wellington-Halton Hills Conservative MPP Joseph Racinsky said the Tories are responding to an affordability crisis by outlawing the cameras.
Safety concerns can better be addressed through road infrastructure and design, including roundabouts and speed bumps, Racinsky said, measures the government will fund locally on a “case-by-case basis.”
Perth-Wellington Conservative MPP Matthew Rae said in statement municipalities will be able to access funding for road improvements such as raised sidewalks and improved signage.
“These are proven and effective ways to slow traffic and keep our roads safe without punishing responsible drives going 1km/h over the posted speed limit,” Rae said.
Despite the new provincial legislation, some councillors want the cameras to stay live and collect data about driver behaviour. No decision has been made and the legality of such a move is unclear.
Staff have been directed to reach out to Global Traffic Group to inquire about next steps.
Global did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
–With reporting from Jordan Snobelen, Georgia York and Joanne Shuttleworth
