Twenty Ontario mayors are urging Premier Doug Ford not to implement a total ban on automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras, proposing a compromise to keep them in school zones.<\/p>\n
\u201cA total ban on ASE would reverse years of progress on safety in school zones. It would place more pressure on police, increase enforcement costs and most critically, endanger lives,\u201d reads the letter addressed to Ford and Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria and signed by the mayors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe urge you to provide a carve out to allow municipalities to continue to deploy ASE in school zones and work with municipalities to improve understanding, effectiveness and community engagement around ASE in these areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the signatories are Burlington Mayor Meed Ward, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish and Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath.<\/p>\n
They pointed out in the letter that most cameras are installed in front of elementary and secondary schools with the goal of protecting children.<\/p>\n
Instead of a ban, the mayors said the province should consider implementing the following measures on ASE in school zones:<\/p>\n
setting cameras at a reasonable threshold before a ticket is issuedtime of day operations tied to school and community use timesa warning ticket issued on the first offencea set fine that is not double due to community safety zonelarge signs alerting drivers to the presence of the camerasblackout on additional fines for seven days after receiving the first ticket<\/p>\n
The mayors added that they would support using fees collected from the ASE program to fund additional traffic calming measures, such as flashing speed signs, pedestrian crossovers, roundabouts, and increased police enforcement.<\/p>\n
The letter was sent a week after Ford announced that he would introduce legislation this month to ban ASE across the province. He has repeatedly called the cameras a \u201ccash grab\u201d that unfairly targets drivers who go slightly over the speed limit.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough is enough. Instead of making life more expensive by sending speeding tickets to drivers weeks after the fact, we\u2019re supporting road-safety measures that will prevent speeding in the first place, keep costs down and keep our streets safe,\u201d Ford said during a news conference on Sept. 25 announcing the ban.<\/p>\n
If passed, cities would be forced to replace the cameras with new warning signage by mid-November, with permanent flashing-light signs in place by 2026.<\/p>\n
In their letter, the mayors, citing a July 2025 study by SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University, said ASE reduce speeding and improves road safety. They also presented a survey by CAA South Central Ontario, which found that a majority of residents in the province support speed cameras.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know your government has been open in the past to revisiting decisions when presented with sound evidence and public support. We hope that will be the case again,\u201d the letter reads.<\/p>\n
Should the Ontario government move ahead with the ban, the mayors are requesting that their municipalities be fully reimbursed for the costs they would incur in cancelling the ASE program.<\/p>\n