Province offering municipalities traffic-calming funding to replace speed cameras

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Ford government passed legislation that abruptly ended speed-camera programs across Ontario, but affected municipalities are being offered a pot of money to implement other traffic-calming measures.

The legislature passed Bill 56, Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025, which includes amendments to the Highway Traffic Act prohibiting the use of automated speed-enforcement systems across the province. As a result, the region ended its municipal speed-camera program on Nov. 13.

The community can expect to see new provincially mandated school zone signage installed across the 28 school zones where speed cameras were in use. The region released a statement advising residents of some important information:

• Tickets issued on or before Nov. 13 remain valid. Speed-camera tickets may be received in the mail on or after Nov. 14, and vehicle owners are responsible for paying or disputing a ticket by the date indicated on the ticket.

• Unpaid tickets are sent to the Ministry of Transportation. Outstanding fines will impact drivers’ ability to renew their vehicle license.

• The region is coordinating the removal of “Municipal Speed Camera In Use” signs and speed cameras on regional and municipal roads. Speed cameras will remain in place temporarily to collect traffic speed data. No speeding tickets are being issued as of Nov. 14.

A complete list of former camera locations can be found at https://gis.regionofwaterloo.ca/municipalspeedcameras, and to dispute a ticket, those affected can visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/app.

“Regional school zones remain designated as community safety zones to protect children, pedestrians and cyclists,” added the statement.

Wilmot had three speed cameras, located near schools on Snyder’s Road, Bridge Street and Waterloo Street. Wellesley’s two cameras were on Lobsinger Line and Queen’s Bush Road. All were in school zones with a 40 km/hr speed limit in effect at all times.

The Ontario government is investing $210 million through the Road Safety Initiatives Fund (RSIF) to support increased road safety in school zones and community safety zones without using speed cameras. It will instead provide financial support for road safety measures, including traffic-calming infrastructure like speed bumps, raised crosswalks and roundabouts, as well as high-visibility signage and increased police enforcement in school zones and community safety zones where municipal speed cameras were previously deployed.

Wilmot Township Mayor Natasha Salonen explained the money collected from the fines paid for other traffic-calming measures on regional roads, not to offset other expenses, as many residents have speculated.    

“Part of that work is still going forward into some of the rural areas of the township this fall and I believe that is still proceeding. However, the long-term plan is to figure out what can be done, and hopefully, the province will come up with more money to fill the gaps.”

Salonen said the number-one complaint she receives in her role as mayor and regional councillor is people driving too fast. She added while the speed-camera program wasn’t perfect, it did penalize bad behaviour to pay for safety.

“I don’t want to say it was a user-fee service, but it was directly targeted at those not using our roadways safely. They were the ones paying to improve road safety.”

Oxford County did not have a speed-camera program but staff were considering a 2026 budget ask to implement one. Warden Marcus Ryan said he would rather tax someone driving too fast in front of a school than tax everyone for roundabouts and speed bumps.

“I don’t know why we all don’t want to tax someone speeding by a park or a library rather than tax everyone for traffic-calming measures.”

He added the county will continue to look at any provincial grant opportunities to add to the current arsenal of safety improvements across Oxford.

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is standing up for drivers by banning cash-grab speed cameras and supporting proven road-safety measures that will make a real difference,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario minister of transportation.

As part of the RSIF, the Ontario government will provide $42 million in immediate funding to support traffic-calming measures in school zones and community safety zones that previously deployed municipal speed cameras. Early next year, eligible municipalities will be invited to apply to the RSIF for the remainder of the funding and submit construction plans for traffic-calming infrastructure.

All municipalities that previously used municipal speed cameras will be eligible to apply for the Road Safety Initiatives Fund. The $210 million in funding provided this year is one-time funding.