Ontario Premier Doug Ford applauded Vaughan city council’s decision to terminate its Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program during a vote on Monday night.
“Mayor Steven Del Duca and Vaughan City Council get it,” Ford wrote in a social media post. “Municipal speed cameras are nothing but a cash grab. We can keep our streets safe without making life more expensive for hardworking taxpayers.”
Vaughan’s speed camera program was put on hold on June 4 after tens of thousands of tickets were issued in just a few weeks, but Del Duca put forward the motion to permanently axe it and focus on other traffic-calming measures.
His motion passed during Monday night’s special council meeting.
Leading up to the vote, Del Duca posted a social media video explaining his stance.
“There are many ways to slow down traffic in school zones that do not require speed cameras,” he argued. “It is time to focus on real solutions, target real criminals, and find fair and creative ways to keep our roads safe.”
The changes approved on Monday are effective immediately, but they don’t apply to York Region’s speed cameras, which continue to operate on the following roads:
- Bathurst Street, north of New Westminster Drive/Atkinson Avenue
- Islington Avenue, south of Rutherford Road
- Keele Street, north of Dina Road
- Major Mackenzie Drive West, west of Lawford Road
- Rutherford Road, east of Islington Avenue
- Weston Road, north of Ashberry Boulevard
- Yonge Street, south of Arnold Avenue
Del Duca’s motion, however, also takes aim at the cameras that remain in use.
“As part of the motion approved today, a request will be made to York Region to suspend its ASE program on Regional roads in Vaughan,” the City said in a release.
“The Mayor’s motion also requested consideration of additional traffic-calming measures to be addressed through the City’s 2026 budget process.”
While Del Duca and Ford are clearly on the same page on the topic of speed cameras, other municipalities are urging the premier to reconsider.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario sent Ford a letter last week, citing real evidence that the cameras improve road safety. This evidence comes from a July study by SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University, which found that the cameras reduced speeding by 45 per cent in Toronto.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow have also come out in defence of the cameras.
In a release, Brown said Brampton’s recent data “clearly shows that Automated Speed Enforcement is helping to slow drivers down and make our streets safer for everyone.”
“Our goal is and has always been to change driver behaviour and prevent collisions, creating safer neighbourhoods across the city.”
Chow also said there was “clear evidence” that they worked to protect pedestrians.
“Speed kills,” Chow said when reacting to news that 16 cameras were cut down in Toronto over the course of a single night earlier this month.
“I will let the premier make his own decisions. What I do know is there is clear evidence that the speed cameras slow cars down, and when cars obey the traffic laws, we save lives,” Chow said.
In total, at least 35 cameras have been knocked down at sites across Toronto this year.
No arrests have been made.
With files from The Canadian Press