Toronto doubling number of speed cameras on its streets — and hopes they won't bring in money
'If the cameras generated no revenue, that would be best,' official says
Toronto is doubling the number of automated speed cameras on city streets.
The new cameras are being installed in community safety zones, with a focus on "locations that have really high numbers of speeders and crashes," Barbara Gray, general manager of the city's transportation division, said in an interview Thursday.
The city is adding 25 new permanent cameras and another 50 mobile cameras that will rotate through locations within the wards where they're installed, bringing the total number of speed cameras in the city from 75 to 150. The city's website shows a map of planned camera locations.
Gray says the goal is to increase road safety — not to make money for the city.
"If the cameras generated no revenue, that would be best, because that would mean that people weren't speeding," she said.
Signs are already in place around the city warning drivers where speed cameras will be installed, as the city is required to give 90-days' notice.
The automated speed camera program is part of Toronto's Vision Zero road safety plan to reduce deaths and injuries on city streets. In 2016, the year Vision Zero was introduced, 44 pedestrians died across the city
Gray says the speed program has been a success. A 2021 study conducted by SickKids showed the number of vehicles going over the speed limit dropped on streets with speed cameras after they were installed.
Road design more important than cameras, says advocate
Cameras have done little to stop speeding on one problem street in the city, according to Faraz Gholizadeh, co-chair of Safe Parkside, a community group that advocates for road safety on Parkside Drive in the west end.
"There's been lives lost on this street. There's lots of speeding," Gholizadeh said Thursday.
"When you have a street that's designed like an urban highway, a speed camera is not going to cut it."
Gray says the city is working with the community to make changes to the road design to improve safety.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Dale Manucdoc