Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is asking the province to compensate the cost of its crossing guards and traffic safety police officers, which had been covered by fines from its speed camera program.
During Thursday’s council meeting, the mayor introduced a motion requesting that the province reimburse the city for the full operating cost of the 911 crossing guards and 18 traffic officers, which is $35.1 million.
Chow warned that a thousand people could lose their jobs on Friday, when the speed camera ban goes into effect across the province.
“In fact, a lot of councillors are saying, can we have more crossing guards? You’re applying, you’re saying that we need our crossing guard near the school. We will need more crossing guards if we don’t have the speed camera. But guess what? As of Friday, i.e. tomorrow, we will not be allowed to collect a single dollar from the fines of people speeding, violating the traffic, the Highway Traffic Act that have been captured by the cameras,” Chow told the council.
“I don’t know how we’re going to pay for the 18 traffic cops, neither would I know how to find money for the crossing guards.”
Her motion also requests that the Ford government reimburse the city’s accelerated road safety initiatives capital budget of $210 million to mitigate the loss of the speed camera program.
“Each time you request traffic lights, do you know where that money comes from? The fines that are from people that are speeding, from the speed cameras. All of that starting tomorrow, the money is gone,” Chow said.
The mayor’s motion was unanimously approved by council.
While Chow welcomed the province investing $210 million to support increased road safety in school and community zones in the wake of the speed camera ban, the mayor said it won’t be enough to cover Toronto’s needs.
“You need to remember the premier said and the minister also said that they would make us whole and that they would find ways to make sure people are safe — well, firing or laying off the crossing guards will certainly not make people safe,” Chow said.
The province says it will provide $42 million in immediate funding through the Road Safety Initiatives Fund (RSIF). The amount for each city will be shared with them individually before cameras are turned off.
Early next year, eligible municipalities will be able to apply to the RSIF for the remainder of the funding and submit construction plans for traffic-calming infrastructure.
“We welcome the initial dollar. I hope it is only a down payment. They need to understand this dollar that we get from the fines goes to police officers and actually crossing guards and taking them out and then also removing the speed camera is dangerous,” Chow said.