Starting this month, the City of Toronto is expanding its Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program by installing 90-day warning signs at all future locations of the 25 new speed cameras approved by City Council.
The 25 additional cameras (one additional camera per ward) are expected to begin enforcement in February 2023 and will join the 50 cameras currently operating across Toronto. The 90-day warning signs, a requirement of provincial legislation, will warn drivers in advance and raise awareness about the new devices prior to laying any charges.
The 25 new devices will be placed at the following locations:
Forty-nine of the first 50 devices are also currently rotating to the sixth round of locations to help reduce speeding in more areas with safety concerns and encourage a wide-ranging deterrent effect. As per provincial requirements, warning signs were installed at all new locations to warn drivers in advance. In response to community concerns, the device on Parkside Drive south of Algonquin Avenue (Parkdale-High Park) is being kept in this round of locations to improve compliance with the speed limit and reduce incidents of speeding on Parkside Drive.
The sixth-round locations are:
In August, the ASE program issued 25,224 tickets, with the most tickets issued on Parkside Drive south of Algonquin Avenue (Parkdale-High Park) at 2,356, or approximately nine per cent of all tickets. There were 1,400 repeat offenders in August with the most frequent repeat offender receiving 12 tickets for speeding on Brant Street south of Adelaide Street West (Spadina-Fort York).
In September, the ASE program issued 23,163 tickets, with the most tickets issued on Parkside Drive south of Algonquin Avenue (Parkdale-High Park) at 2,279, or approximately 10 per cent of all tickets. There were 1,118 repeat offenders in September with three most frequent repeat offenders each receiving six tickets: one received six tickets for speeding on Park Lane Circle near 60 Park Lane Circle (Don Valley West); another received six tickets for speeding on Mill Road north of Burnhamthorpe Road (Etobicoke Centre); and another received four tickets for speeding on Denison Avenue south of Grange Avenue (Spadina-Fort York) and two tickets on Manning Avenue south of Lennox Street (University-Rosedale).
The total payable fine includes a set fine, determined by Schedule D under the Provincial Offences Act, a victim fine surcharge and applicable court costs. ASE tickets do not incur any demerit points and do not affect a person’s driving record.
The City continues to process Part III offences for excessive speeding incidents captured by the ASE devices. Excessive speeding is when a vehicle has exceeded the speed limit by 50 km/h or more. Under provincial regulations, there is no set fine or out-of-court settlement for charges related to excessive speeding. Instead, a summons is served to the registered vehicle owner to appear in court.
This year, 247 Part III charges have been laid. The highest excessive speed detected was 146 km/h in a 50 km/h speed limit zone on Martin Grove Road north of Garfella Drive (Etobicoke North).
All ASE devices are installed in Community Safety Zones. Sites are selected primarily based on data that indicate where speed and collision challenges exist. Each municipal ward currently has two ASE devices that capture and record images of vehicles travelling in excess of the posted speed limit.
The ASE program aims to increase road safety, reduce speeding and raise public awareness about the need to slow down and obey posted speed limits. It is designed to work with other Vision Zero methods and strategies, including engineering measures, education initiatives and traditional police enforcement.
More information about the program, how to pay fees and a map of all current and planned locations are available on the City’s Automated Speed Enforcement webpage.
The City has partnered with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to sponsor the Transportation Tomorrow Survey (TTS). The survey, which will be mailed to randomly selected Toronto residents, takes less than 15 minutes to complete and the results will help plan improvements to transportation facilities for all road and transit users in Toronto and across the region. Residents can visit TTS2022.ca to learn more.
Quote:
“We want everyone to be safe on our roads and this is why we’re scaling up the City’s Automated Speed Enforcement program by adding 25 more cameras to the 50 that are already operating across the city. This is another important step forward that will help save lives, boost road safety and reduce speeding where it matters the most. We know that speed cameras work – they are a proven, data-driven Vision Zero tactic that are changing driver behaviour and having a positive community impact.”
– Mayor John Tory
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