Toronto mayor resisting speed camera ban, plans to tell residents to complain to province

Mayor Olivia Chow says she will bring a motion asking city staff to contact every Toronto resident living near a speed camera, telling them how to complain to Queen’s Park, as she attempts to fight back against the Ford government’s impending ban.

The move to lobby the public and MPPs comes on the day Premier Doug Ford unveiled a plan to pass legislation outlawing speed cameras in Ontario, which were first introduced in 2019.

“Today, the province announced they’re banning one of the most effective tools we have to slow drivers down and keep people safe,” Chow said on Thursday.

“I think this is the wrong decision; it signals to people that the provincial government is OK with speeding. It will mean our roads are less safe.”

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As part of her plan to push back, Chow is hoping to get council support to write to every household in the vicinity of an automated speed camera.

Her motion asks city staff to notify every home within walking distance of a speed camera and to include the number of road injuries in the past five years, average speeds clocked by the cameras and how to contact their local MPP to complain.

“I’ll be asking staff to inform the local neighbourhoods that their camera is being taken away by the province, and they should call their MPP if they’re not so happy with this decision,” she said.

For weeks, Ford has railed against speed cameras, calling them a “tax grab” by municipalities and telling cities to turn to other measures like speed bumps instead.

Chow, however, said the revenue from speed cameras goes to road safety measures, including speed bumps and 18 Toronto police officers focusing on traffic and safe driving. Without it, she said, those following the rules would end up subsidizing speeders.

“Now, where is the money going to come from if the province can’t support the speed cameras?” Chow asked.

“It’s going to come from your pocket. Law-abiding citizens, I think it’s fairer if you break the law and speed illegally, pay so that other people can be safe.”