290,000 speeding tickets and counting: A look at how many photo radar tickets have been issued in Ottawa in 2024

More photo radar cameras coming next year The city is planning to install dozens more photo radar cameras in the coming months, including in rural areas. CTV's Austin Lee has more.

Photo radar cameras have caught nearly 300,000 speeders on Ottawa roads so far this year, as the City of Ottawa prepares to expand the automated speed enforcement camera program to another 39 locations over the next 14 months.

New statistics show 40 automated speed enforcement cameras issued 291,599 speeding tickets in the January to September period. The cameras issued 220,789 speeding tickets in 2023 (26 cameras), 127,939 tickets in 2022 (17 cameras) and 80,944 tickets in 2021 (eight cameras).

The photo radar camera on King Edward Avenue near Bolton Street has issued 47,929 tickets in its first eight months of operation (February to September), the highest number of tickets by a single camera in the city this year. The camera on Walkley Road, between Halifax Drive and Harding Road, issued 27,110 tickets in the January to September period, while the camera on St. Laurent Boulevard, between Noranda Avenue and Clarke Avenue, issued 16,722 speeding tickets.

A total of 40 automated speed enforcement cameras were in operation through the first nine months of the year, and five new cameras have been installed this fall. A report for the transportation committee meeting next week outlines plans to install 15 new photo radar cameras by the end of this year, and another 24 photo radar cameras to be installed in 2025.

Staff say the photo radar cameras have been forcing drivers to slow down since they first appeared on Ottawa roads in 2020.

“Changes in driver behaviour and reducing speeds are also key to enhancing safety. A recent analysis of the original Automated Speed Enforcement pilot sites shows that extended use of speed cameras leads to more drivers obeying speed limits and fewer instances of 'High End Speeding' (driving more than 15 km/h above the limit),” says a report for the transportation committee. “Better speed compliance at speed camera sites leads to fewer speeding incidents the longer the cameras are in place.”

Staff say within three months of a photo radar camera being installed, the number of drivers complying with the posted speed limit increased from 16 per cent to 57 per cent, and compliance jumps to 89 per cent within one year.

The photo radar camera on King Edward Avenue, along a busy stretch of road popular with motorists travelling between Ontario and Quebec, issued 5,382 speeding tickets in September. The camera on Walkley Road was the second-busiest camera in September, issuing 3,726 tickets.

Statistics show 10 of the 40 photo radar cameras issued at least 1,000 speeding tickets in September. The camera on St. Laurent Boulevard issued 1,544 speeding tickets, the camera on Cedarview Road caught 1,374 speeders and the camera on Riverside Drive near Mooney's Bay issued 1,284 tickets.

Revenue generated by automated speed enforcement cameras and red light cameras are allocated to the Road Safety Reserve Fund, which funds road safety initiatives across the city.

The 2025 draft budget includes $18 million for the Road Safety Action Plan, with funding set aside for pedestrian safety improvements, cycling safety enhancements, pedestrian crossover installations and new traffic control devices.

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