The mayors of Cambridge, Waterloo, and Guelph are part of a group of municipal leaders urging Premier Doug Ford and Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria to reach a compromise on the speed camera program rather than canceling it. Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett, Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe, and Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie joined several other mayors in co-signing a letter penned by Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, advocating for the retention of automated speed enforcement (ASE) in school zones. The letter emphasized the importance of allowing municipalities to continue deploying ASE in school zones and collaborating with them to enhance understanding, effectiveness, and community engagement regarding ASE in these areas. It warned that a blanket ban on automated speed enforcement would undo years of safety progress in school zones, increase pressure on law enforcement, escalate enforcement costs, and pose a significant risk to lives.
The letter also proposed various compromises supported by municipalities to maintain speed camera measures in school zones, including issuing warning tickets for first-time offenses, restricting camera operation to school and community use times, and establishing a reasonable speed threshold before issuing tickets. Mayor McCabe highlighted the intention to discuss these proposals with the transportation minister and the premier to find a middle ground. The letter further suggested that revenues from speeding tickets could be allocated to traffic calming initiatives like speed signs, pedestrian crossovers, and roundabouts. Additionally, it requested that municipalities be reimbursed in the event of a complete ban on automated speed enforcement.
Acknowledging the positive impact of speed cameras in reducing driver speeds in school zones, Mayor McCabe stressed the need for continued implementation or fair compensation for investments made in the program. In Waterloo region, where there are currently 22 speed cameras in school zones with plans to install six more, regional councillors are poised to deliberate a potential pause on the speed camera program. Councilor Colleen James will introduce a motion at the administration and finance committee meeting seeking a halt to the program and staff hiring until the province clarifies details on the impending legislation promised by the premier. James expressed the necessity of understanding the implications, whether financial or staffing-related, of canceling the program for the community and region.
