Ottawa’s photo radar camera pilot handed out thousands of speeding tickets in the first few weeks it was in service, Mayor Jim Watson said Wednesday.
Watson told city council that Ottawa’s automated photo radar cameras, set up in four school zones across the city, issued 10,771 speeding tickets to drivers between July 13 and 31.
Among the speeding infractions, a camera clocked one driver going 89 km/h on Meadowlands Drive near St. Gregory School, Watson said.
The mayor used the initial data from Ottawa’s photo radar pilot as a reminder to drivers to ease off the gas in school zones as kids return to the classroom this week.
Ottawa police also said Tuesday that traffic enforcement officers handed out 30 tickets for speeding and failures to obey stop signs on the first day of school for many students in the city.
Revenue from automated photo radar cameras is fed back into the city’s road safety initiatives.
City council is expected to receive a report on the effectiveness of the cameras at reducing speeding in mid-2021.
The launch of Ottawa’s photo radar pilot was delayed by months due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.