Doug Ford will outlaw municipal speed cameras this fall: sources

“We’re looking at all options on how to slow down traffic without the use of speed cameras,” a senior government official said.

Ford has been telegraphing for days his displeasure with the monitoring tools he actually allowed municipalities to install in order to reduce speeding in school zones.

His opposition to them comes despite evidence from both police and doctors that they are effective deterrents to driving fast near schools.

Speaking to reporters Monday in Russell, Ont., Ford said Queen’s Park was “going to be giving municipalities across the province a lot of money to put in all sorts of street-calming methods from little turnabouts, from speed bumps to flashing signs — and that’s going to slow people down.”

The premier, who has praised Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca for removing his city’s speed cameras, said he’s been canvassing municipal leaders across the province, and some will join him when he formally unveils the changes later this week.

“I’ve had many mayors tell me, ‘we know this is a tax grab … but I need money for roads and so on and so forth.’ You can’t use people’s pocketbooks. We’re getting gouged with taxes all over the place. We’re facing tough times. The goal is to slow them down. We’re going to slow them down,” said Ford.

“All municipalities are collecting hundreds of millions of dollars (but) I don’t believe that slows (motorists) down,” he said.

“When you live in a community, you find out there’s a speed trap, you learn, you slow down. But there’s thousands of other people going through the community that aren’t slowing down and getting dinged.”

Sources said the Tory government would be giving cities additional funds for new signage and infrastructure to discourage speeding and would likely indemnify municipalities for any contracts they have related to the cameras.

However, the province will not pay to remove the hundreds of speed cameras currently installed around Ontario.

“They’re just going to be deactivated,” said a second senior official.

In theory, that means a future government could amend the law to permit the speed cameras, which have been in place in Toronto since 2022 under former mayor John Tory.

Red-light cameras at major intersections will continue to operate, officials said.

The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police said earlier this month that cameras have “been proven to reduce speeding, change driver behaviour, and make our roads safer for everyone — drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and especially children and other vulnerable road users.”

“These tools are especially deployed in school zones and community safety zones, where slowing down saves lives and prevents serious injuries,” the chiefs’ association noted.

Similarly, researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto Metropolitan University found they reduced the number of speeding cars and trucks by 45 per cent in city school zones.  

“I do not condone any vandalism of any kind. That should never, ever happen,” said Ford.

“But it just shows you how frustrated people are.”

Mayor Olivia Chow has defended the cameras, while also backing proposals she said would make it fairer — such as alerting drivers they have received a first ticket before they’re able to rack up multiple fines — and installing clearer signage.

In a statement Tuesday, Chow’s spokesperson Braman Thillainathan said her office would wait to see the province’s legislation before commenting on it.

But Thillainathan noted that since last year, 250 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed or seriously injured in Toronto.

“Speed cameras play a critical role in reducing accidents, preventing collisions, and keeping Torontonians safe,” he said.

Speaking to CBC Radio’s Metro Morning before the Star broke the news of Ford’s plans, city manager Paul Johnson rejected the premier’s assertion the camera program is a tax grab.

“It’s an enforcement mechanism. All enforcement has a penalty attached to it,” Johnson told host David Common.

But the city’s top bureaucrat added “we’ll comply” with any changes made by the province.

With files from Ben Spurr