Urban speedsters beware — enforcement cameras coming to Windsor

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Windsor speedsters will soon have to pay the price for their lead feet.

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On Monday, city council voted unanimously to move ahead with automated speed enforcement cameras that take pictures of fast-moving vehicles and trigger tickets for plate owners.

“This type of technology has a proven track record,” said commissioner of infrastructure David Simpson. “It serves a very formidable purpose in the community to control speed.

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“The hardcore evidence has been very clear that this type of technology not only decreases both the rate of vehicular collisions, but it also reduces the injury severity.”

Five mobile cameras will be leased and installed in school and community safety zones — areas, established by council through bylaws, where drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users are at a “heightened risk,” a staff report said.

In community and school safety zones — the only two areas where automated speed enforcement can be used under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act — speeding fines are doubled and are based on how much drivers exceed the posted speed limit.

Windsor currently has around 40 community safety or school zones, but with city staff analyzing streets that appear to fit the criteria for enhanced traffic enforcement, that number will likely grow, Simpson said.

In Windsor, speed camera locations will rotate every few months, the report said. Warning signs will let drivers know when they are entering a speed-enforced area.

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Cameras capture an image of speeding vehicles for review by joint processing centres — in Windsor’s case, one located in Brampton. If the violation is confirmed, a ticket is issued to the vehicle’s owner.

The owners of vehicles captured speeding will receive tickets in the mail. Penalty orders for speeding in Ontario are pro-rated for each kilometre over the posted speed limit a driver travels.

The cameras will only be in operation at two locations at any given time. Before they can be activated, warning signage has to be up for 90 days.

Staff estimate the annual cost of running automated speed enforcement at $1.27 million, the report said. That includes camera hardware, installation, and maintenance; violation processing fees; and hiring two staff to oversee operations, among other things.

Based on experience shared by other municipalities, the report said, “staff anticipate the city will generate sufficient funds to fully offset the cost of running this program.”

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Any annual surplus net revenue from the program will be transferred to Windsor’s traffic calming reserve fund, which is used to support traffic and road safety improvements.

Asked by Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino whether the cameras can be used to nab drivers for other traffic violations, like parking in bike lanes, Simpson said the cameras are limited to speed enforcement.

There are no demerit points associated with automated speed enforcement convictions. As a result, the dispute rate for charges “is expected to be significantly lower than the typical dispute rates for regular speeding tickets,” the report said.

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