Committee gives green light to speed cameras in Windsor

(CTV News file image)

A city committee has given the green light to implement the Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program.

The Environment, Transportation, and Public Safety Standing Committee met Wednesday afternoon with the program being discussed.

ASE is a system that uses a camera and speed management devices to enforce speed limits. The device would take a picture of speeding cars, it would be reviewed by processing centres, and if a speeding violation is confirmed the vehicle owner would be ticketed.

It’s estimated the program will cost $1.27 million a year, however once the devices are paid, the city would be able to generate revenue from the tickets that would then go into a dedicated reserve fund that would then be used for traffic calming measures.

There would be five cameras that would be moved every two months around the city into different school zones and community safety zones, and could result in upwards of 23,000 tickets per year, depending on how long the cameras run per day.

Chair of the committee and Ward 2 Coun. Fabio Costante, had originally brought up adding this system back in February 2019.

Costante says it’s great that these cameras will move every two months to cover as many areas as possible in the city.

“Because this is data driven, and it’s going to be driven by our traffic engineers, they will prioritize the areas that are at most risk. But that’ll float throughout the city, and so I expect that most areas of the city - if not all areas of the city more or less - will have these from time to time. And I think that’s a really important thing because it sends a strong signal to all motorists that speeding is an issue.”

He says the city recognizes that Windsor Police can’t be everywhere all the time.

“This fills a necessary gap in our community, much like the red light cameras filled a necessary gap in our community. And we’ve learned through that process how successful the red light cameras were. And so the hope here is that these will also be successful in making sure that folks abide by speed limits, and drive safely.”

If any surplus comes from these tickets, Costante added it will go to a dedicated Traffic Calming Reserve.

“So this is not another source of tax revenue that’s going to be applied broadly to any city initiative, it is specifically to continue to enhance and make our streets safer because the intent behind this program — Just like the red light camera program, was always to make our streets safer.”

The program still requires final approval from city council, however if approved the cameras are expected to be installed later this year, most likely in the late summer or fall.

Speed radar signs that have been up around the city has helped administration base where the locations would be for these cameras.

It would be up to the city to set the speed threshold for drivers to receive a ticket.

The city would also be required to provide advanced notice when the cameras are being moved into a new area.

There are currently 13 community safety zones the city, and two school zones, however the city is looking to add school zones with hopes of having 25 school zones before this is rolled out.

— Meagan Delaurier/AM800 News