Regional councillors with the administration and finance committee voted in favour of halting the planned expansion of speed cameras at 28 school zones until details of pending legislation are made available. The notion of motion was brought forward by regional councillor Colleen James on Tuesday morning after Ontario Premier Doug Ford publicly announced his intention to ban speed cameras province-wide. Ford called the cameras a “cash grab” that targets drivers who go even slightly over the limit. “Enough is enough. Instead of making life more expensive by sending speeding tickets to drivers weeks after the fact, we’re supporting road-safety measures that will prevent speeding in the first place, keep costs down and keep our streets safe,” Ford said during a news conference on Sept. 25 announcing the ban. That same week, five new speed cameras were installed across Waterloo Region with more originally planned to be installed. According to the motion, the region will still maintain operation of the existing speed cameras for now but would halt any further hiring of staff to deliver on the speed camera program. There are still more speed cameras set to go live on Oct. 8. “These cameras were already installed, the infrastructure, there was already investment in place,” said James. Council requested that regional staff report back to council on the implications of ending the automated speed enforcement program pending forthcoming provincial legislation. Last week 20 Ontario mayors proposed a compromise, asking the premier to allow speed cameras in school zones. This morning, in a letter posted on social media, the premier said “The answer is no.” Waterloo’s mayor, Dorothy McCabe, was one of the 20 mayors who are against banning speed cameras. “This is a program that is clearly showing that it works. People are slowing down in communities and in school zones,” she told CTV News. If the speed camera program is cancelled there are unanswered questions about who will foot the bill. “If we don’t have those answers, I mean, we’re doing a disservice to the municipalities and to and to the community,” James said. James said she hopes the new legislation allows for changes as opposed to a full out cancellation of the program. Ontario school boards urge premier to reconsider The leaders representing Ontario’s four publicly funded school board associations said they are united in concern about the possible ban on speed cameras in school safety zones. “These cameras have been shown to be one of the most effective tools available to keep children and families safe near schools,” read a media release sent from the four associations on Monday. The associations said they recognize concerns raised by the premier and some mayors about fairness, thresholds, and revenues but said those issued can and should be addressed through policy changes and safeguards, not by dismantling a safety system. “We call on the provincial government to improve and refine [Automatic Speed Enforcement], not eliminate it,” the statement read.
