B.C. government won’t be releasing how fast drivers have to go to activate green light cameras

The B.C. Government will not be telling the public how fast a driver has to go to trigger one of new green light speeding cameras.

“We have no plans, neither does any other province, of releasing what the speed is for which the camera is activated,” Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said.

“But we have been really clear. One: these intersections are online. Two: you guys have shown on TV where the intersections are. Three: there are going to be signs telling people you are entering an intersection with cameras. There’s lots of warning.

“What we are saying is, drive like a normal person and you are not going to get a ticket.”

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The province chose the 35 most dangerous intersections for crashes in the province after analyzing data from 140 Intersection Safety Cameras.

Farnworth says provincial data shows that on average, 10,000 vehicles a year go through those monitoring stations at over 30 km an hour above the speed limit.

The province is activating speed-detection technology built into red-light cameras in an attempt to reduce crashes. Right now there are on average 900 crashes a day in B.C., and 60 per cent of those take place in intersections.

WATCH: Intersection cameras will be used to nab speeders

1:46 Intersection cameras will be used to nab speeders

The cameras will be able to nab speeders on green, yellow or red lights.

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“This is about savings lives and reducing accidents, which I think everyone is in favour of,” Farnworth said. “This is about those who think they can drive excessively. This is designed to go after individuals who drive at high rates of speed.”

WATCH (aired March 8, 2018): Province upgrades red light cameras to catch speeders

2:00 Province upgrades red light cameras to catch speeders

The provinces claims this is different than the controversial photo-radar regime of the 1990s because in these cases the locations are well-known.

Under that program, police in unmarked vans parked in random locations and issued tickets at low speeding thresholds. It was scrapped in 2001.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says catching speeders and enforcing red light runners is a “good thing,” but that the changes should be closely monitored to ensure that the change is actually improving people’s behaviour.

“This could easily slide down the slope of a cash grab. We are really hoping the government is diligent on how they are doing this,” B.C. director Kris Sims said.

“We have looked at some studies down south that say when you have red light speed cameras it could cause people to stop and actually cause accidents.”

Here are the 35 locations

Abbotsford

Route 11 at Lonzo Road

Burnaby

Kingsway at Boundary Road
Kingsway at Royal Oak Avenue
Willingdon at Deer Lake

Coquitlam

Barnet Highway at Mariner Way

Delta

Nordel Way at 84th Avenue

Kelowna

Harvey Avenue at Cooper Road
Highway 97 North at Banks Road

Langley

200th Street at 64th Avenue
Route 10 at Fraser Highway

Maple Ridge
Lougheed Highway at 207th Avenue

Nanaimo

Island Highway at Aulds Road

North Vancouver

Marine Drive at Capilano Road

Pitt Meadows

Lougheed Highway at Old Dewdney Trunk Road

Port Coquitlam

Lougheed Highway at Shaughnessy Street

Richmond

Garden City Road at Cambie Road

Surrey

128th Street at 88th Avenue
152nd Street at 96th Avenue
152nd Street at King George Boulevard
64th Avenue at 152nd Street
96th Avenue at 132nd Street
King George Boulevard at 104th Avenue
King George Boulevard at 80th Avenue

Vancouver

Boundary Road at East 49th Avenue
East Hastings Street at Main Street
East Hastings Street at Renfrew Street
Grandview Highway at Rupert Street
Granville Street at West King Edward Avenue
Kingsway at Joyce Street
Kingsway at Victoria Drive
Knight Street at East 33rd Avenue
Oak Street at West 57th Avenue
Oak Street at West 70th Avenue
Southeast Marine Drive at Kerr Street
West Georgia Street at Cardero Street