Ottawa city councillor pushing to keep school zone photo radar cameras

More than twenty mayors have signed a letter urging Premier Doug Ford to allow photo radars in school zones. CTV News Ottawa’s Natalie van Rooy reports.

There’s a growing movement in Ontario aiming to get Premier Doug Ford to reverse his plans to scrap speed cameras, and at least one Ottawa city councilor is taking up the cause.

On Wednesday, Brampton city council unanimously backed a motion from Coun. Rowena Santos to continue using photo radar cameras in the city, despite Ford’s new legislation.

Thursday, Coun. Tim Tierney of Beacon Hill-Cyrville Ward said he is working on an item for Ottawa’s city council that would keep photo radars in the city’s school zones up and running.

“We’re working for something next week at city council. Now, I don’t want to scoop all the details. The Mayor and I have been working very closely on this,” Tierney told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron.

There are currently 60 cameras installed across Ottawa and the city is spending $1.7 million to install 24 new photo radar cameras this fall.

While Tierney says the authority to remove the cameras is in the provincial government’s hands, he is hoping the province will reverse course.

“At the end of the day, if they pull the plug, they pull the plug,” he said.

“I just think it’s bad, and the first time someone’s hurt in an intersection after a camera’s shut off, it’s going to be very hard to justify.”

Tierney said he is willing to part ways with the photo radar cameras outside of school zones but believes those within must stay.

“We want to save the furniture; we think the important part is the school zones,” he said.

“The others we can discuss, if we just simply turn off the four cameras that are not in school zones in our city –– something we are willing to do.”

Ford’s plan would see cities replace their photo radars with permanent flashing signs by 2026, but Tierney said the “Vegas-style signs” would do nothing to help.

“Anything you can do to assist is great, but we already have those boards. They’re great for a little while but then people just start speeding by them again,” he said.

In addition to school-zone signage, the province is also encouraging municipalities to introduce additional traffic calming measures, including speed bumps, speed cushions, raised crosswalks, curb extensions and roundabouts.

Photo radar cameras generated $60 million in revenue for the City of Ottawa between 2020 and 2024. Another $20 million in revenue was generated between January and August this year.

According to the city, the percentage of drivers complying with speed limits near photo radar zones jumped from 16 per cent to 81 per cent with three years of cameras being installed.

While Tierney says certain municipalities may have taken their speed camera programs too far, that should not lead to the undoing of all photo radars.

“I think that’s what they’re really trying to claw back on, and if this is a real tough discussion, great. But at the same time, let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater.”

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