Automated cameras and new speed zone signs continue to go up as the city seeks to change driving habits
Mitchell Fox | March 4, 2022 (Edited March 9, 2022)
The City of Mississauga’s efforts to implement speed cameras and other road safety efforts are “necessary” and already affecting driving habits, according to one city councillor.
While conversation online has included both praise and criticism of the changes, Ward 10 Coun. Sue McFadden said the city is “trying to be safe” and appears to be succeeding.
McFadden said data collected by the city’s traffic department shows a 20 per cent decrease in speeding in the areas with cameras, a stat she called “impressive.”
The use of Automatic Speed Enforcement cameras began with two cameras in July 2021 and has expanded since. The city’s map shows 15 active cameras, including two listed as activated on Feb. 16.
In a phone interview, McFadden said a full rollout of 22 cameras, two in each of 11 wards, is expected to be completed this summer.
The cameras come alongside the ongoing Neighbourhood Area Speed Limit Project, involving the creation of neighbourhood area speed limit zones, the lowering of school zone speed limits to 30 km/h and the designation of community safety zones.
These changes come as the city continues its pursuit of Vision Zero, a goal of zero fatalities or serious injuries on city streets that it adopted in 2018.
“The ultimate goal is we don’t want anybody in a collision or a loss of life,” McFadden said.
She said she hears often from people about road safety, including some who want police officers in their areas and others who are unhappy with the cameras and lower speed limits.
“Everybody complains about the speed around the schools… but when I put in the cameras, it’s, ‘Oh, well, I didn’t want it around my neighbourhood,’” she said. “I say, ‘Well, you can’t have it both ways.’”
Kurt Halfyard, a resident of Ward 10 who occasionally drives for ride-sharing companies, said in a Zoom interview that he is in favour of the city’s efforts.
“I think the only way to build habits is by hitting people in the wallet,” he said.
“To me, if some, you know, jerk, wants to drive 65 (km/h) through a 30 (km/h) zone and get a $350 ticket, and it pays to replace some damaged library books or fill some potholes – or pave some bike lanes – then that’s a win too.”
Not all residents, however, are in favour of the city’s efforts. Some have voiced this strongly on the Nextdoor neighbourhood app.
“We (as a city) need to start actually participating in electing people into municipal council that will increase speeds and stop this nonsense of robotic enforcement,” one commenter said.
Others called the cameras a “cash grab” and the lower speed limits “ridiculous.”
McFadden, who has been on the traffic safety council for 22 years, said the cameras are meant to educate and are “not a cash grab.”
“It’s not rocket science here. Just don’t speed, you don’t get a ticket,” she said.
The Ontario Automated Speed Enforcement website says speed is a contributing factor in about one-third of fatal collisions.
Halfyard, who said he has an “avid interest” in urban planning, said he thinks the city’s road safety efforts can be improved.
He compared the efforts to projects being undertaken in Europe, such as greater use of roundabouts and better trails that separate pedestrians and cyclists from traffic.
“Mississauga is doing some of these things, but they don’t do them with the design foresight and quality that [Copenhagen or Amsterdam are],” he said. “But that’s fine. I’d rather they do something [than nothing].”
McFadden said she hopes the current plans will be enough to change driving habits in the city.
“Nothing gets done unless you start, right? And we started,” she said.