Attention all leadfoots!
On Monday night, Barrie councillors will look at operating two mobile speeding cameras, rotating them among community safety zones and school zones across the city’s 10 wards.
Ward 5 Coun. Robert Thomson says he supports this measure and would actually like to see more of it.
“It’s a good start and I’ll wait to see the data when it comes back if it’s accomplishing what we hope it does,” he told BarrieToday. “I would have to say that safety on our streets is one of the most frequent calls I receive from residents.
“I know some people say that it’s nothing more than a cash grab, but I am hopeful that there is not a single ticket written — which would mean people are aware of the safety measures we are taking as a city and changing their behaviour to drive in a respectful manner on our streets,” Thomson said.
“Safety concerns from speeding continue, not just in Ward 9 but all throughout the city,” Coun. Sergio Morales said, “so we are trying new, innovative approaches such as the mobile speeding cameras, and I support trying them out. I’m curious to see the data that comes back.”
The motion asks that staff in the city's operations department advise Toronto’s Joint Processing Centre that Barrie seeks to participate in the Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program. It is a system that uses a camera and a speed measurement device to detect and capture images of vehicles travelling faster than the posted speed limit and is effective in reducing collisions in school and community safety zones.
Staff would also report back to councillors with details concerning the next steps of implementation required for the installation, operations and maintenance costs of the cameras and related signs, Joint Processing Centre operating costs and provincial costs.
Staff are recommending a pilot program of two mobile cameras at an approximate cost of $70,000 to $80,000 annually. Implementing the ASE program could take as long as two years, or even longer, because of the number of steps in the process.
Final approval of this motion will be considered by city council at its Dec. 7 meeting.
David O'Brien, the Simcoe County District School Board trustee representing Barrie Wards 1, 2 and 3, also says he supports the measure.
“I am in favour of any action that can improve public safety especially around our schools, be that from more direct police enforcement or automated speed enforcement cameras,” O'Brien said, noting he’d like to learn more about statistical research on the strengths and weaknesses of each method on their own.
Barrie city police support the use of any initiative to enhance road safety, but say it would be the city’s responsibility to manage and implement the ASE system, and police wouldn’t be involved.
Police also say that since ASEs do not prevent or reduce the risk of other serious collisions, they are not a substitute for on-site police enforcement of other traffic violations. Police prefer to have officers on-scene as they get all directions and all offences, not just ASE violations.
Speeding statistics for Barrie are not available because city police records group all Provincial Offence Notices for Highway Traffic Act violations and don’t differentiate which section was violated, police officials said.
Just more than four years ago, council approved a motion that should new provincial legislation empowering municipalities to install safety cameras in community safety zones and school zones to help protect school children, seniors, pedestrians and cyclists be passed, staff in the operations and legislative, and court services, departments report back to general committee with the requirements and implications associated with implementing such a program.
The next year, the province passed the Safer School Zones Act, 2017 to permit municipalities to implement automated speed enforcement technology in school and community safety zones. The legislation and the associated regulations came into force Nov. 29, 2019.
The ASE system has three main components: speed measurement, data processing and storage, and image capturing that includes a data box with the posted speed limit, the speed of the vehicle, the location, the time of day, etc.
If a vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit in an ASE-enforced area, the system captures an image. Images are reviewed by Provincial Offence Officers at the Joint Municipal Processing Centre, which is operated by the City of Toronto. It is the only violation processing centre in Ontario for ASE enforcement.
Municipalities pay Toronto to process evidence, issue offence notices and prepare court documents, on the basis of a cost-sharing formula.
The ticket contains a digitized copy of the image and an enlargement of the plate portion. It is mailed to the registered plate holder within 30 days of the offence, outlining next steps and the cost of the associated fine. The registered licence-plate holder gets the ticket, whether he or she was driving the vehicle at the time. There is a monetary fine for those convicted, but demerit points are not issued and the registered owner’s driving record isn’t affected.
Vehicle owners receive fines that incrementally become more expensive, depending on how much faster than the posted speed limit they were travelling. For example, fines could range from $21 for going one kkilometre per hour over the posted speed limit to $1,105-plus for 50 km/h or more.
Fine revenue could offset a portion of the costs associated with such a program, but the number of convictions will not be the same as the number of motorists speeding within a community safety zone/school zone; the licence plate number might not be visible due to weather conditions, plates could be blocked by a trailer, there could be low visibility because of dirt or a motorist might be be from another province.
School zones are designated road areas near a school, and typically occur within 150 metres of the front of a school and have reduced speed limits during specific periods of the day. City council policy mandates a 40 km/h posted speed limit in front of elementary schools, as well as for roadways where – due to their geometric design – there is an increased probability of danger when a car drives at 50 km/h or a higher speed limit.
On major roads where there are elementary schools, a ’40 km/h when flashing’ speed limit is in effect. Barrie has these speed limits – which follow varying time schedules – in 23 elementary school locations.
Community safety zones are established by municipal council through a bylaw, and cover road areas where there is a higher risk to, or concern for, drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and/or others who share the space. Highway Traffic Act fines, including speeding, are doubled in community safety zones and many community safety zones are located close to schools.
Barrie has more than 75 sections of road designated as community safety zones in accordance with the Community Safety Zones Bylaw.
