If you’re wondering about when the automated speed cameras are coming along Elizabeth Street, work is still ongoing – but cameras should be installed before the start of the school year, says Mayor Brian Ostrander.
However, this doesn’t mean they’ll be operating right away.
Earlier this year, municipal speed camera signs saying “coming soon” were installed along Elizabeth Street and the school/community safety zone area.
However, work is still ongoing to get all the necessary agreements in place before the cameras can be “activated.”
“We are working through the agreement with the ministry,” explained Ostrander.
In other words, only once all contracts/agreements are signed and in place will the cameras be coming online.
Reports about implementation of the automated speed enforcement (ASE) program went to council earlier this year. According to those reports, the speed detection cameras were purchased earlier.
The same reports detail that the ASE program cannot start until after agreements are in place/finalized with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG.) Provincial regulations are said to establish the framework for implementation and administration of ASE programs.
It was also previously recommended that a 20-day notice period, with notice posted through the municipality, take place before activation and once the initiation date is determined.
The regulatory required public notice period of 90 days was already achieved through installation of the street signage earlier this year, according to previous municipal reports.
ASE is described as an automated system using a camera and speed measurement device to enforce speed limits. In this stretch along Elizabeth Street, it’s 40 km/h.
Among reasons cited earlier for an ASE program were public complaints about vehicle speeds and safety.
Ostrander told BrightonToday.ca earlier this year that this isn’t intended to serve as a “cash grab or an alternate form of taxation” – although some revenue through fines is expected.
“But that’s not the primary intention here – the primary intention here is to change behaviour. We want people to slow down.”
This is a community safety zone, and there’s lots happening in the area with two schools, two plazas, the largest park in the community, which often has children playing there, parents driving in and out of that park, and so people need to be cognizant, he explained.
“We have a senior’s home and a large apartment, as well as lots of traffic going to one our of grocery stores and the drive-thru coffee shop there,” Ostrander went on to add.
There are lots of concerning traffic issues and the best way to manage those is to get people to drive at a speed that makes sense for those traffic-congested areas, he said.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
