BIG GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO TAKE MORE OF YOUR MONEY SPEED CAMERAS RAISE $MILLIONS IN FINES

BIG GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO TAKE MORE OF YOUR MONEY SPEED CAMERAS RAISE $MILLIONS IN FINES IN A PREVIOUS COLUMN, I described what many over-burdened taxpayers see as the unrestrained liberty enjoyed by City and Regional governments to spend other people's money in ever increasing fashion, driven by an insatiable desire among bureaucrats and elected officials to advance what I like to call ‘Big Government’. This week we take a look at one method now being used by those in power to generate even more revenue to pay for their various spending schemes. SPEED CAMERAS - A CASH WINDFALL FOR MUNICIPAL COFFERS The Region of Durham website describes automated speed enforcement, or ASE, as being a “modern tool used to help enforce speed limits in school zones and community safety zones – places where kids tend to walk, run and play.” Permanent ASE devices are now in place throughout the region, including several locations within the city of Oshawa; most notably along the Simcoe Street corridor. In addition, mobile cameras are rotated regularly throughout the many community safety zones that have been established. The Region’s website describes all of this as being a part of their ‘Vision Zero’ plan to ensure a safer transportation system on local roads. It all sounds well intentioned, however, when you look at the incredible amount of revenue being generated in such a short time, you could be forgiven for taking this initiative as nothing more than an unjustified cash grab. One could go even further by suggesting the use of ASE devices is simply an attempt by municipalities to generate funds under the guise of ‘safety’ where no statistics have ever existed to warrant such a wide ranging initiative. In 2021, speed cameras in Durham Region brought in just shy of $4 million, and that revenue has been increasing year over year, although the actual ‘surplus’ has been slow to rise due to the cost of implementing the program. Fast forward to the 2024 fiscal year and you’ll see on the Region’s website they now anticipate an estimated surplus in the range of $2 million from last year's ASE operations. The Region has the effrontery to actually suggest the revenue generated by these speed cameras is simply “a byproduct of this enforcement” when in actual fact it’s the other way around. They even go on to inform residents of a plan to designate all roads with a 40km/h speed limit as “Community Safety Zones” enabling the prolific use of ASE cameras. This comes on the heels of a vote by Oshawa council to convert all residential neighbourhoods to 40 km/h speed limits in an 11-0 unanimous vote. Do you see a connection there? During the initial debate among councillors as to reducing overall speed limits, Ward 4 City councillor Derek Giberson had this to say: “I’m quite enthusiastic to be seconding this motion…and I do want to be sure we understand the report and the numbers…and what we have learned.” He went on to tell his colleagues, “I think there is a really important thing to be observed here…It’s the design of the road that determines driver behaviour. If it’s built for 60 km/h and it feels comfortable driving 60…you could put 10 km/h on a sign and you’re still going to have people driving 60. Posting a different speed limit doesn’t always result in the outcomes you want.” Councillor Giberson’s remarks go to the very heart of the issue, in that staff at both the Region of Durham and at Oshawa City hall know full well the accuracy of what the councillor identifies, and that an arbitrary reduction on roads designed and built for certain speeds is an unfair and cynical way of entrapping drivers into being forced to pay what can only be seen as a form of municipal taxation. This cash grab is spreading like a bad virus in communities throughout Ontario, as more and more councils seek to increase their revenue streams. The City of Brampton planned to acquire 100 additional ASE devices last year to add to the 50 already in use in their community. The mayor was reported as saying, “The generated revenue will be reinvested in our city’s infrastructure and community programs, making Brampton safer for our residents.” In Ottawa, a camera set up on a very busy street in 2023 generated 10,000 tickets and $650,000 in fines in just over two months. In Wellington County this year, five speed cameras have brought in $4 million in fines from 84,000 tickets in less than three months. Waterloo Region collected $1.6 million from four rotating speed cameras in 2024, with one councillor noting that under the new program, his region will be able to retain more revenue and invest it back into the community. In the city of Toronto, their automated speed enforcement program generated no less than a staggering $70 million in 2023. Regardless of the fact this new speed camera ‘pandemic’ is entirely curable, it is a disease that shows no signs of going away any time soon. Politicians at all levels are determined to move forward as they watch their monetary reserve funds completely overflow with cash. When debate ensues, elected officials and others will try to immediately stifle opposition by identifying a need to protect children in school zones, many of which are now down to a speed limit of 30 km/h. A recent study undertaken by a freelance data analyst in southwestern Ontario showed that pedestrian collisions near schools typically happen at intersections with traffic lights and at crosswalks, and that a better way to make pedestrians safer is to target collision ‘hot spots’ using physical measures such as speed humps, as well as crossing guards. On a final note, a recent media report stated that throughout the first quarter of 2025, Ottawa police were ticketed with 69 automated speed enforcement infractions and 23 red light camera infractions. These statistics were listed as ‘internal complaints’, with the Chief stating that “Depending on the circumstances, discipline may be imposed.” Meanwhile, the Region of Durham and the City of Oshawa continue to reach further and further into your pockets until, at some point, you may find yourself with nothing left to contribute.