Vaughan speed cameras going live April 23

Speed cameras are coming to 10 locations across Vaughan in March.

After being announced in October 2024, automated speed cameras will go live in Vaughan on April 23, according to the city.

The cameras will be set up in community safety zones, which are marked by signage. These zones include areas “near schools, neighbourhoods, daycare centres, playgrounds, parks and seniors’ residences” according to the city’s website.

The cameras will be in place in 10 locations, which were selected based on overall traffic volume, collision history and the presence of buildings, such as schools and parks. The locations will be rotated periodically in different community safety zones across the city over the next year.

Come April 23, if a vehicle exceeds the speed limit, the camera can capture an image that includes the vehicle’s licence plate. The image will then be reviewed by a provincial offences officer, who will mail the image and a ticket to the vehicle’s owner within 30 days.

The new speed cameras will join others that are already in place in Vaughan as part of York Region’s program.

The city release stresses that “evidence and research indicate other jurisdictions have effectively used this system to reduce speeds on local roads.”

The cameras have already been rolled out in other GTA municipalities, including Toronto, where some have been repeatedly targeted by vandalism.

According to the City of Toronto, 12 cameras were “vandalized beyond repair” in 2024. One particular camera, on Parkside Drive, was sawed down three times in 2024. There was also another case of vandalism in January, where a camera in the area of Avenue Road and Oaklands Avenue was cut down.

Repair crews told CTV News that each replacement of a camera cost the city about $10,000. In response, Toronto council approved the addition of 75 cameras, which will bring the city’s total to 150 this year.