20 Ontario mayors propose compromise on speed cameras, say total ban would endanger lives

Vehicles pass a speed camera in Toronto, on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

Twenty Ontario mayors are urging Premier Doug Ford not to implement a total ban on automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras, proposing a compromise to keep them in school zones.

“A total ban on ASE would reverse years of progress on safety in school zones. It would place more pressure on police, increase enforcement costs and most critically, endanger lives,” reads the letter addressed to Ford and Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria and signed by the mayors.

“We urge you to provide a carve out to allow municipalities to continue to deploy ASE in school zones and work with municipalities to improve understanding, effectiveness and community engagement around ASE in these areas.”

Among the signatories are Burlington Mayor Meed Ward, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish and Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath.

They pointed out in the letter that most cameras are installed in front of elementary and secondary schools with the goal of protecting children.

Instead of a ban, the mayors said the province should consider implementing the following measures on ASE in school zones:

• setting cameras at a reasonable threshold before a ticket is issued
• time of day operations tied to school and community use times
• a warning ticket issued on the first offence
• a set fine that is not double due to community safety zone
• large signs alerting drivers to the presence of the cameras
• blackout on additional fines for seven days after receiving the first ticket

The mayors added that they would support using fees collected from the ASE program to fund additional traffic calming measures, such as flashing speed signs, pedestrian crossovers, roundabouts, and increased police enforcement.

The letter was sent a week after Ford announced that he would introduce legislation this month to ban ASE across the province. He has repeatedly called the cameras a “cash grab” that unfairly targets drivers who go slightly over the speed 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.

• READ MORE: ‘Enough is enough’: Doug Ford moves to ban speed cameras in Ontario next month

If passed, cities would be forced to replace the cameras with new warning signage by mid-November, with permanent flashing-light signs in place by 2026.

In their letter, the mayors, citing a July 2025 study by SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University, said ASE reduce speeding and improves road safety. They also presented a survey by CAA South Central Ontario, which found that a majority of residents in the province support speed cameras.

“We know your government has been open in the past to revisiting decisions when presented with sound evidence and public support. We hope that will be the case again,” the letter reads.

Should the Ontario government move ahead with the ban, the mayors are requesting that their municipalities be fully reimbursed for the costs they would incur in cancelling the ASE program.

On Wednesday, Brampton city council voted unanimously to continue its program, despite the looming ban.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow was not one of the mayors who signed the letter, but she has opposed the speed camera ban, saying it is the wrong decision.

With files from Jermaine Wilson