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COMMUNITY Automated Speed Enforcement cameras to be installed on Silver Street in front of North Ward School this month, ticketing starts in January
By Casandra Turnbull
In an ongoing effort to combat speeding in town, a new Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program is rolling out in Paris this month.
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A camera and measurement device will be installed at North Ward School in the coming weeks to monitor speed on Silver Street, officially launching the county’s independent ASE program. There will be a two-month trial period for testing and training purposes only, with no tickets issued during this time. The first tickets will be issued in early 2025, with 1-2 additional cameras added in priority locations (not disclosed) during 2025, if all goes according to plan
A county staff report reiterates on numerous occasions the goal is to create safe streets, not collect revenue Through data collected by the County’s Brant Safe Streets Strategy, there’s an increased prevalence of speeding in Brant. A review of speeding data from 23 locations in school and community safety zones found that on average, 59% of drivers were driving over the speed limit. The average speed of drivers was approximately 5 km/h over the speed limit, with the 85th percentile speed being 51 7 km/h In addition to the data, residents throughout the County identify speeding as a major concern in their neighbourhoods
“Speed issues are probably the highest “scoring” category in complaints that we receive,” said Paris Ward 2 Councillor Steve Howes. “Brant Safe Streets has helped as a method of channeling those complaints so that council, roads’department and OPP all see the complaints,” he explained And through this safe streets strategy, programs like the ASE are investigated.
The county owned program emphasizes its mandate ‘not to generate revenue’ by developing a different approach compared to other municipalities. The cameras will be placed permanent locations to ensure continued compliance, rather than relocating them quarterly to new ‘speed zones’ in a bid to continuously generate profits from unsuspecting motorists. Keeping the cameras in a designated area and expanding the program to add more cameras ensures continued compliance As for where the additional cameras will go, county staff confirmed its not specific to urban areas, but ASE program cameras must go in a designated community safety zone, as outlined in regulations put forward by the Ministry of Transportation The County of Brant has 22 designated community safety zones now, although that number is likely to grow as county staff will begin to evaluate how they define and approve community safety zones.
Funding to operate the program, including the creation and ongoing maintenance of a processing centre, will come directly from revenue generated by the tickets. Staff predict the annual revenue from the Silver Street pilot project to generate enough revenue in the first year to cover all operating expenses. Beyond supporting the program expansion, staff recommend that a discretionary reserve fund is built to hold excess operating surpluses generated from the program This reserve would support the ongoing financial stability of the program and ensure there are funds accumulated to manage unforeseen impacts to program revenue and cope with potential operating deficits. A reserve fund could also be used to enhance community safety by providing a designated funding source for traffic safety initiatives, according to the staff report (found here)
Motorists will be ticketed based off a fixed amount set by the county’s ASE program committee. People travelling between 0-19 km over the speed limit will be ticketed $5 PER KM they are over.
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If they are caught travelling 20-29 KM over the posted speed limit, the fee is $7.50 per km over the limit and those speeding in excess of 30-49 km over the posted limit will look at a $12 per KM fine. Finally, anyone flying 50 km or more over the posted limit will be charged $19 50 per km they are over The fines will be swift. Each fine will also include (an undisclosed) victim component charge which is collected by the County and remitted to the Attorney General’s Office.
According to the County’s Business Plan, Silver Street was selected as the pilot for several reasons:
*The County receives frequent complaints about speeding trucks in this area.
*There is a high pedestrian frequency
*There was a previous pedestrian fatality in this location.
*This will be a future detour route for ongoing construction.
*It is a high-volume road with an average hourly volume of 303 vehicles.
Councillor Jennifer Kyle asked if North Ward School was still the best location, given the new four-way stop has slowed down traffic considerably in that area over the last year. It was confirmed the case study was conducted after the four-way stop was installed so the data is still valid
Councillor Howes asked county staff for a full report at the end of the 90-day trial period showing how many motorists were clocked and what the ticket revenue would have been in that timeframe, calling that data a good snapshot of what’s to come.
It will cost approximately $92,400 to install the first camera, that includes installation, signage, an education campaign and office equipment A public education campaign is planned for this fall.