Speed camera program hands out 55,000 tickets and plans to expand

Now six months into their new speed camera enforcement program, the Region of Waterloo is sharing the progress.

Since the program was rolled out in February of this year, the region has installed and is now operating 17 speed cameras in school zones.

Those schools include:

• Elgin Street Public School (Cambridge)
• St. Peter CES (Cambridge)
• Laurentian Public School (Kitchener)
• Sandhills PS / St. Dominic Savio (Kitchener)
• Sunnyside Public School (Kitchener)
• Cedar Creek Public School (North Dumfries)
• St. Brigid CES (North Dumfries)
• Keatsway Public School (Waterloo)
• MacGregor Public School (Waterloo)
• St. Nicholas CES (Waterloo)
• St. Agnes CES / Bluevale CI (Waterloo)
• St. Clement CES (Wellesley)
• Wellesley Public School (Wellesley)
• Forest Glen Public School (Wilmot)
• New Dundee Public School (Wilmot)
• Sir Adam Beck Public School (Wilmot)
• Foundation Christian School (Woolwich)

According to the Region of Waterloo, speed camera enforcement has reduced speeds in school zones by 15 km/h on average.

“For parents and students returning to school, we know that the speed cameras are working and that drivers are slowing down,” said Theresa Mendler, manager of the Automated Enforcement processing centre. “We just encourage those out on the road to continue following the posted speed limits.”

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While those figures are encouraging for the people in charge of the enforcement program, excessive speeding continues to be an issue in Waterloo Region.

The bulk of instances of excessive speeding take place between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., and speeds as fast as 173 km/h have been recorded in school zones during that timeframe.

Since February, speed cameras have recorded two million incidents of speeding, issuing nearly 56,000 tickets, an average of 312 tickets per day.

When it comes time to pay, nearly three-quarters of the tickets given out have been settled and paid. And 83 per cent of people who have paid their tickets have decided to use the region’s online portal, while 7 per cent have paid by phone.

The average cost of a ticket given out since February is $108.25, though the largest ticket was over $2,000. According to Kaileigh Pfaff, supervisor of the administrative penalties program, the fines are set by the province’s Highway Traffic Act.

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“Speed cameras are an intervention, but there are additional interventions,” said Doug Spooner, acting commissioner of transportation services. “As we start to see volume of tickets and speed compliance in school zones, there are other tools we can use. simple ones, speed bumps, the City of Kitchener uses the flexible bollards, there are other implementations we will use in the targeted areas.”

While the program has yet to break even, Spooner added that they hope to start reinvesting the money the program brings in to various speed enforcement and calming projects by next year.

In the coming months, the region will install an additional 11 speed cameras in school zones, including:

• Holy Spirit Catholic Elementary School (Cambridge)
• Manchester Public School (Cambridge)
• Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School (Cambridge)
• St. Gabriel Catholic Elementary School (Cambridge)
• Bridgeport Public School (Kitchener)
• Chicopee Hills Public School (Kitchener)
• Courtland Avenue Public School (Kitchener)
• Eastwood Collegiate Institute (Kitchener)
• Forest Heights Collegiate Institute (Kitchener)
• Forest Hill Public School (Kitchener)
• Clearview Mennonite School (Woolwich)

The region is continuing to expand on the speed camera program through Back to School Awareness campaigns and work alongside area municipalities.