City Defends Automatic Speed Cameras

 

 

On September 25, 2025, the Ontario government announced their intention to introduce  legislation that would prohibit the use of municipal automated speed enforcement cameras.

This  announcement has raised questions from members of Council around the potential impacts to the  Road Safety Action Plan initiatives if the use of automated speed enforcement cameras were to  be prohibited. This memorandum is intended to provide Council with an overview of the City of  Ottawa’s current Automated Speed Enforcement Program, including a program overview, key  metrics and data, and funding distribution.

Background

The City of Ottawa is committed to the goals and objectives of the 2020-2024 Strategic Road  Safety Action Plan (ACS2019-TSD-TRF-0009), approved by Council in December 2019, which is  a data-driven plan that aims to reduce the rate of fatal and major injury collisions within the city of  Ottawa. Speed management is identified as a key element of road safety engineering as speed is  often a contributing factor to more severe collisions and injuries.

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This is a release from the City of Ottawa.

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In Ontario, the use of speed cameras is governed by the provincial Highway Traffic Act and  Ontario Regulation 398/19: Automated Speed Enforcement. The City of Ottawa launched an  Automated Speed Enforcement pilot project in 2020 by installing eight cameras at school sites to  assess the effectiveness of speed cameras in reducing high risk driver behaviour as well as the  costs and resource needs of managing such a program.

The results of the pilot demonstrated that Automated Speed Enforcement is an effective  countermeasure in targeting High Risk Driver behaviour, successfully reducing speeds and in turn  reducing the risks of fatal and major injury collisions. In 2021, Council approved the expansion of  the Automated Speed Enforcement program (ACS2021-TSD-TRF-0005), with the allowance of  up to 25 new cameras to be installed each year during this term of Council. The majority of the

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cameras are adjacent to schools (50 active cameras, and 20 being activated this fall). There are  also six cameras around playground and parks, as well as four existing cameras that are being  piloted on high-speed roads and four cameras that are planned to be installed this fall as part of a  pilot project in rural village locations. The activation of 24 cameras in the fall of 2025 is dependent  on the decision made by the Ontario Government and would bring the total number of cameras in  operation to 84.

In May 2023, Council approved the establishment of a Processing Centre for Automated Speed  Enforcement Infractions in Ottawa (Report Processing Centre for ASE). The unit became  operational in 2024 and is operated by By-law and Regulatory Services within the Emergency  and Protective Services Department. The unit is responsible for processing all Automated Speed  Enforcement infractions in Ottawa. Finance and Corporate Services Department is responsible  for the administration and adjudication of tickets, as well as collections and payment processes.  Traffic Services, within the Public Works Department, is responsible for the City’s Automated  Speed Enforcement Program as well as the City’s Road Safety Action Plan, which delivers key  road safety improvements.

Automated Speed Enforcement Program: Data Driven and Informed

The City’s Automated Speed Enforcement Program has made significant progress in reducing  speeds, particularly in school areas where vulnerable road users, such as children, are present. Progress in speed reduction also represents an important and positive change in driver behaviour  and road safety culture as people are choosing to better comply with speed limits.

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The City has focused the majority of its speed cameras near schools. Speed camera locations  near schools have been selected based on a data-driven approach, taking into consideration  compliance with the posted speed limit, the number of speeders travelling 15 km/h or more over  the posted speed limit, the number of students travelling to school using active transportation, as  well as collision history. A 2024 survey of Ottawa residents demonstrated that over 80% of those  surveyed were supportive of automated speed enforcement cameras in school zones and near  parks.

Data is continually being collected at all ASE sites and it has shown a significant reduction in  driving speeds and an increase in compliance with the posted speed limit across all camera sites when compared to data collected before the cameras were installed.

A 2024 analysis of the Automated Speed Enforcement pilot sites shows that compliance with  posted speed limits improves the longer cameras remain in place.

Details on this analysis are as follows:

• Prior to camera implementation, 16% of drivers were compliant with the speed limits.  • Within 3 months, 57% of drivers were compliant with the speed limits.

• After one year, 69% of drivers were compliant with the speed limits.

• After three years, the average percentage of compliance is at 81%.

• Prior to camera implementation, high-end speeding (those drivers travelling more than 15 km/h above the posted speed limit) was 14%.

• After three years, the average percentage of high-end speeders has been reduced to just  0.7%.

Road Safety programs funded by Automated Speed Enforcement Revenue

Since its launch in 2020, Ottawa’s Automated Speed Enforcement program has collected $97.5  million in fines. Of this, $18.3 million has been remitted to the Province as the mandatory Victim  Fine Surcharge. Of the remaining $79.2 million, $37.6 million has been used to operate and administer the program and $41.6 million has been allocated to the Road Safety Reserve which  funds road safety initiatives including those identified in the City’s Road Safety Action Plan. These  investments enable the City to implement a wide range of projects focused on improving safety  for all road users across four priority areas: intersections, vulnerable road users (pedestrians,  motorcyclists, and cyclists), rural roads, and high-risk drivers (aggressive, distracted and impaired  driving). For example, the funding is used to:

• Increase the ward envelopes for temporary traffic calming measures like flex stakes and  speed display boards for this term of Council

• Increase the number of Adult School Crossing Guards annually

• Implement engineered traffic calming measures in school areas

• Reconstruct high volume cycling safety locations

• Implement protected left turns, including required roadway modifications where needed  • Supplement existing capital budgets to implement new traffic signals, roundabouts and  pedestrian crossovers

• Implement accessibility upgrades at pedestrian facilities to address non-compliant  locations

• Implement rumble strips, safety edges and gravel shoulder improvements for rural roads  • Implement enhancements for rural stop control and curve locations

• Reconstruct rural skewed intersections

• Implement speed limit changes through Gateway Speed Limit signage

• Support adherence to Transport Canada at-grade rail crossing regulations • Provide road safety training to all staff who make decisions about the roadway  • Support Ottawa Police Service for traffic safety enforcement

Conclusion

City staff will carefully review the details of the proposed legislation and once tabled, assess its  potential financial impact as well as impacts to current and planned road safety initiatives. Staff  will also be reviewing the potential impact on staffing in accordance with City processes, and  supporting staff during this time remains a priority. Staff will update Members of Council as more  information becomes available.

The City remains committed to keeping roads safe in Ottawa and will continue to work with the  Province to identify and implement effective tools that protect all road users.

Original signed by

Alain Gonthier

General Manager

Public Works Department

CC:

Senior Leadership Team

Public Works Leadership Team

Emergency and Protective Services Leadership Team

Chief Communications Officer, Public Information and Media Relations

 

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