Sudbury speed cameras to be removed by Nov. 14

The City of Greater Sudbury will remove its six speed cameras next week, leaving future traffic calming measures unclear after the province banned the devices.

While Greater Sudbury’s six automated speed enforcement cameras are coming down next week, it’s unclear when – or what -- traffic calming measures will be implemented instead.

Officials at the city said the cameras were an effective way of getting drivers to slow down.

“It changed the way people drive. It changed their behaviours on our roads,” said Joe Rocca, Sudbury’s director of linear services.

“That doesn’t mean we’re going to stop trying. We will still be using other measures where applicable to try to make our roads as safe as possible.”

The six speed cameras in Sudbury have been rotated to different locations across the city since March 2024, based on a priority list prepared by city staff.

Generated revenue

Rocca said fines related to the cameras generated $750,000 in net revenue for the city. Another $2.4 million in gross revenue came in for 2025, but he said deductions still need to be factored in before net revenue is determined.

Premier Doug Ford has called the speed cameras a “cash grab” by municipalities and passed legislation Oct 30 to force cities to remove them by Nov. 14.

Ford has promised that municipalities will receive funding for other forms of traffic calming.

“But they haven’t put any details out at this point so we’re not exactly sure what that’s going to be,” Rocca said.

Rocca said the city will implement other types of traffic calming measures, but there are challenges. For example, said roadways like MR 80 are used by heavy trucks.

“Vertical traffic calming measures like speed humps are not appropriate to be used on a road like that with all the heavy truck traffic we’d expect on them,” Rocca said.

“On those roads, we’re going to have to look at other kinds of measures, and likely we’ll be looking to our partners at Greater Sudbury Police Services for additional enforcement.”

Contract details

The city is working through contract details with its legal team and the three partners it had with the speed camera program. Those included the province that supplied licence plate lookup and the equipment supplier.

Rocca said there’s no indication that the province will help with those contracts.

While on their way out, drivers can still be fined if they are caught speeding by the cameras up until Nov. 14.

In response to a request from CTV News, the Ministry of Transportation released a statement that said banning the cameras ensures municipalities are “not raising revenue on the backs of hard-working Ontarians.”

“We are installing proven and proactive safety measures that are 100 per cent effective at slowing drivers down -- including roundabouts, speed bumps, improved signage and other traffic-calming measures in school zones,” the statement said.

“Our government is prepared to fund new signage and traffic-calming measures that will keep school zones safe. We are not prepared to allow municipal speed camera cash grabs to continue.”