Brampton officials say speed cameras are working as intended and will remain in place, despite growing pushback from residents and even criticism from Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
A new report presented at city council shows that Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras have reduced driver speeds by an average of 9.33 km/h in designated community safety zones, with some areas seeing reductions of more than 20 km/h. The city argues these results prove the program is making Brampton’s roads safer.
Launched in 2020 with just five cameras, the program has expanded to 185 cameras across Brampton. The devices were introduced in response to widespread complaints about speeding near schools and parks. City officials have long pointed to speeding as a major factor behind collisions and pedestrian injuries, which have also contributed to Brampton having some of the highest auto insurance rates in Canada.
Still, not everyone is on board. Petitions calling for the program’s elimination are circulating, with critics calling the cameras a “cash grab.” Premier Ford echoed those concerns earlier this week, saying municipalities are leaning on the devices for revenue and hinting he’d like to see them scrapped altogether.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said he recently spoke with Ford about the program and emphasized the city’s positive results.
“I told him that the data is overwhelmingly positive in Brampton in terms of the reduction of speeding,” Brown said. He added that while Ford has expressed concerns about how municipalities have rolled out the ASE program, no decision has been made provincially to end it. “We shouldn’t assume this program is over,” Brown noted, promising to report back to the premier later this fall.