Ottawa drivers avoiding photo radar cameras causing problems on residential roads

The automated speed enforcement camera on Smyth Road issued 9,907 speeding tickets in the first 11 months of 2023. (Katelyn Wilson/CTV News Ottawa)

The two photo radar cameras in the Alta Vista area issued nearly 20,000 tickets in the first 11 months of 2023, but it appears quieter side streets in the neighbourhood may be paying the price.

"The camera out there, everybody has been avoiding it," said Alta Vista resident Zain Cheena. "Everyone uses Edge Hill Place to avoid the camera and it’s creating a lot of traffic here."

Adding to Ridgemont residents' long list of problems including speeding drivers and a lack of sidewalks.

"I certainly did hear from neighbourhoods located close to speed cameras that are saying that part of the impacts of the traffic are from people trying to avoid speed cameras," coun. Marty Carr told CTV News Ottawa.

Carr says there are two areas of concern in her ward. The first is drivers taking Edge Hill Place to avoid the automated speed enforcement camera on Alta Vista Drive. The other is drivers using side streets like Hamlet Road, Chapman Boulevard and Weston Drive to avoid the photo radar camera on Smyth Road.

"In some cases, there are streets without sidewalks and that’s what a lot of the concerns are," Carr said. "They’re concerned about the safety of pedestrians on the road and in some cases cars that are looking to avoid the speed camera may be those that like to exceed the speed limit."

Which means more demand for traffic calming measures on residential streets, like speed bumps to slow drivers down.

"There is a huge demand for those temporary calming measures and councillors have a limited budget with which to work," said Carr.

The city of Ottawa plans to install 32 new photo radar cameras by the end of 2024, adding to the 28 already in operation.