Brampton considering photo radar for school zones

Thestar.com
Feb. 5, 2019
Graeme Frisque

Brampton council says speeding on city roads is becoming a big problem, especially in school zones.

At a Jan. 30 committee of council meeting, members of council brought several ideas to the table to mitigate the dangers of heavy footed motorists in areas frequented by children, but the one that seemed to draw the most interest was photo radar.

The province passed legislation in 2017 allowing Ontario municipalities to use photo radar near schools.

“I know all of us during our campaigns heard about the issue around speeding on neighbourhood streets,” wards 1 and 5 councillor Rowena Santos told committee, before tabling a motion directing staff to report back on further “traffic-calming” options.

It didn’t take long for photo radar -- which is already in use in some Ontario municipalities and being tested in other large cities including Toronto -- to take over the discussion.

Otherwise known as automated speed enforcement cameras, the technology measures the speed of passing vehicles and photographs the licence plates of those exceeding the posted limit. That information is then sent to a central processing facility and tickets are issued through the mail.

“We need photo radar,” said wards 2 and 6 councillor Michael Palleschi. “The province gave us the ability, the region accepted the ability, now I want photo radar. I want photo radar in front of schools, and I want to be there first before any other municipality -- before Mississauga, before Caledon.”

In May of 2017, the previous Liberal Ontario Government passed the Safer School Zones Act, allowing municipalities to use photo radar technology near schools. Peel Region followed suit and approved regional use of the technology in December 2017.

Photo radar isn’t new and has caused controversy in the past. Critics dismiss the technology as an ineffective “cash grab.” A provincewide program implemented in 1994 by the Bob Rae NDP government on 400-series highways was cancelled only a year later by the Mike Harris Progressive Conservatives due to public push back.

There are also infrastructure and administrative requirements and costs involved in implementing such a system.

Mayor Patrick Brown said he believes it could be a revenue source to offset costs in other areas, while at the same time freeing up policing resources to focus on other priorities.

“Part of the challenge is the police are already stretched thin, and so to have a police officer attend to an area where there are reports of speeding. They barely have the resources right now to respond to car thefts (and) break and enters,” said Brown, who added that locating a ticket processing centre in Brampton would create jobs.

Other suggestions brought forward included additional signage and more electronic speed indicator signs, as well as angled speed bumps designed to slow passenger vehicles while allowing city vehicles like snowplows and fire trucks with wider wheel bases to pass unimpeded.

While in favour of exploring all options, Brown said he believes such measures aren’t as effective at modifying driver behaviour as tickets and fines that hit the pocketbook.

Staff will report back to council later this year.