Cambridge considering new speed camera locations

Cambridge city staff are recommending 10 new speed camera sites. CTV’s Heather Senoran tells us where.

Staff members for the City of Cambridge are looking to roll out speed cameras in 10 new school zones.

The locations earmarked by the city were be presented and approved by council on Tuesday night.

“Our team reviewed all 50 locations that have schools in them and came up with this list of 10 sites,” Leah Walter, the city’s director of engineering and transportation, said before the meeting. “Municipal speed cameras can really only be implemented in school or community safety zones at this point in time.”

These are the streets suggested by the city:

• Concession Road (Coronation Public School)
• Elgin Street (St. Anne Catholic School)
• Rose Street (Preston Public High School)
• Saginaw Parkway (Saginaw Parkway Public School and St. Teresa Catholic School)
• Scott Road (Silver Heights Public School)
• Stewart Avenue (Stewart Avenue Public School)
• Sunset Boulevard (Blair Road Public School)
• Langs Drive (William G. Davis Public School)
• West River Road (Tait Street Public School)
• Winston Boulevard (Hespeler Public School)

The proposed sites need final approval from the Region of Waterloo because the cameras are part of a regional program.

One camera has already been installed near Elgin Street Public School, and other cameras were previous approved for Guelph Street, Saginaw Parkway, Avenue Road and Myers Road. According to the region’s website, those cameras are not yet active.

The speed cameras would come at no cost to the city and could be ready as early as this year.

“The cost to install, operate and maintain the cameras is all captured within the regional budget,” said Walter.

The Region of Waterloo will also do a full assessment of each site before the cameras were installed.

The city said safety is their top priority.

“It reduces the risk and severity of collisions with the most vulnerable road users that we have, which are children,” Walter said.

According to the region’s website, any surplus revenue generated from municipal speed cameras over and above its operating and capital costs will go into the Road Safety Reserve Fund. The fund is used for initiatives that help keep the roads safe for all users.