WHEREAS the Province of Ontario, has announced plans to introduce legislation in October 2025 to ban all municipal automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras across the province, while committing to fund alternative traffic calming measures such as speed bumps and flashing lights in school zones;
WHEREAS the City of Ottawa has operated a successful ASE pilot program since 2020, expanding to 60 cameras with 50 operating in school zones;
WHEREAS data from the City's ASE program shows a significant increase in driver compliance with posted speed limits, rising from 16% before installation to 87% four years later, resulting in fewer speeding vehicles and safer conditions for children and pedestrians in school zones
WHEREAS unlike some other Ontario municipalities, the City of Ottawa allocates all ASE program revenue beyond operating costs to the Road Safety Action Plan along with funding critical road safety measures such as intersection upgrades, enhanced signage, and other infrastructure improvements, without using any ASE funds toward the general city budget;
WHEREAS speeding in school zones remains the number one complaint received by Ottawa councillors' offices, highlighting the ongoing need for targeted enforcement in school zones to prevent collisions and promote community safety and well-being, and a 2024 survey of Ottawa residents demonstrated that over 80% of those surveyed were supportive of automated speed enforcement cameras in school zones;
WHEREAS a complete provincial ban would deactivate all the ASE cameras including in school zones, creating the risk that speeds in these areas would increase;
WHEREAS the Province has continued to reiterate the importance of safe driving and reduced speeds, and has committed to funding traffic calming measures such as speed humps, flashing lights, roundabouts and other practical measures;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Ottawa City Council affirm the proven safety benefits of the ASE program and urge the Province of Ontario to permit the retention of ASE cameras exclusively in designated school zones if immediate removal of ASE cameras in non-school zones goes ahead;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, should the Province proceed with removing ASE cameras in school zones, Council request that municipalities be granted the opportunity to phase out the cameras over a 12-month period, ensuring a smooth transition and minimizing safety risks during the implementation of alternative measures;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Council request the Province provide equivalent funding as mitigation and that the City of Ottawa will commit to allocating all mitigation exclusively to the Road Safety Action Plan budget, ensuring continued investment in critical road safety initiatives such as intersection upgrades, enhanced signage, and other infrastructure improvements to protect vulnerable road users;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk forward this motion to Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that once legislation is tabled that staff be directed to prepare a report in early Q1 2026 outlining the projected safety and financial impacts of the provincial ban in Ottawa, focusing on school zone data related to reductions in collisions and speeding attributable to ASE and the impact on the Road Safety Action Plan, and to prepare a plan to use alternative methods to ensure school zones/areas are protected using whatever measures are allowed.