Waterloo Region applauds its speed-camera program

Officials say driver habits are changing as a result

Speed cameras in Waterloo Region have faced vandalism but continue to capture thousands of speeding violations, with officials crediting the program for slowing drivers in school zones. Region of Waterloo Instagram photo

By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Speed-camera programs are stirring controversy across Ontario, with Premier Doug Ford threatening to scrap them entirely and a growing wave of vandalism targeting the devices.

A total of 16 cameras were damaged earlier this week in the Greater Toronto Area. Despite the public backlash, the Region of Waterloo is hailing its own program as a major success. The region’s camera on Snyder’s Road has also seen its share of abuse as it has been spray-painted twice and cut down a pair of times.

Regional data shows that between Feb. 3 and July 31, speed cameras captured more than two million speeding incidents. In that time, 55,899 tickets were issued, with 84 per cent of drivers receiving only a single ticket since the program began. The average fine is about $110, and 73 per cent of tickets have already been paid.

Wilmot has three speed cameras, located near schools on Snyder’s Road, Bridge Street and Waterloo Street. Wellesley’s two cameras are on Lobsinger Line and Queen’s Bush Road. All are in school zones with a 40 km/hr speed limit in effect at all times. The most extreme violation in Wilmot was recorded at New Dundee Public School, where a driver was caught driving 173 km/hr on a Saturday morning. In Wellesley, the worst case saw a driver clocked at 145 km/hr in front of St. Clements Catholic Elementary School during a school day in April.

“As students across Waterloo Region return to school, the first six months of the expanded Municipal Speed Camera (MSC) program data show drivers are lowering their average speed in school zones, making the community safer for those who walk, roll and cycle,” said a news release from the region.  

“Following a successful pilot program, the region directed staff to protect schools across the region with speed camera technology to slow vehicles down and make roads safer for everybody,” added Doug Spooner, the region’s acting commissioner of transportation services at a media briefing with the Gazette.

There are currently 17 cameras in school zones across the region with 11 more ready to be rolled out in the fall, none of which will be in Wilmot or Wellesley townships.

Fines are divided into three parts: the base fine itself, a victim surcharge that goes to the Ministry of the Attorney General and a plate-lookup fee paid to the Ministry of Transportation.

“We lease the cameras on a daily rate, we have staff members and operational costs like printing and envelopes. Any money beyond that goes into the road safety reserve, which is a new capital account. What we are doing with our partners is talking about how we are going to reinvest that money,” Spooner said.

He added staff will make a recommendation on how to spend the reserve later this year, and it could include revenue sharing for lower-tier municipalities like Wilmot. Spooner said regional council has directed staff to install cameras at all 175 school zones in the Region of Waterloo.

“Public, private, parochial, let’s get there. We will get there in terms of whether these are the right locations for the cameras. We have been clear that what we are after in terms of road safety is road design, and these speed cameras are an intervention that we need right now. It’s not about the revenue for us, it’s about road-safety outcomes, so we’ll keep the cameras in there as we build out the program.”

Spooner added staff are looking at what the criteria for removing a camera would look like. It would include a drastic decrease in speed, along with safety improvements on the roads.

A regional report notes a significant improvement in speed compliance, signaling safer roads for pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users. However, it cautions that excessive speeding is still a problem near most schools at all hours of the day.

Despite the positive messaging from the region, the premier urged municipalities earlier this week to eliminate speed-camera programs and said he would take matters into his own hands if they don’t.

“They should take out those cameras, all of them. This is nothing more than a tax grab. … Some people driving through a neighbourhood and they are five, 10 kilometres over, they are getting nailed. It’s not fair. So, I’m dead against the photo radar they have.”

The region’s press briefing was held nearly one week before Ford’s public comments.

Waterloo Region currently has 17 school zones utilizing speed cameras, with 11 more coming online this fall. A full map of locations can be found at https://gis.regionofwaterloo.ca/municipalspeedcameras.