Toronto Adds 75 Speed Cameras!
Today, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow announced that the city will add 75 speed cameras, bringing the total to 150, in an effort to reduce speeding behaviors.
Mayor Chow emphasized that the new cameras will be deployed in "community safety zones" with high pedestrian activity, where the usual speed limits are 30 or 40 kilometers per hour.
Despite the Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) system generating approximately $40 million in fines for the city last year, Mayor Chow clearly stated: "The increase in cameras is not about collecting more money but reducing casualties."
However, the project of adding speed cameras has not been without challenges. City officials revealed that 12 cameras have already been "damaged beyond repair" in 2024, with each device costing about $10,000 to repair.
"We are upgrading more cameras to permanent pole-mounted devices and increasing their installation height," said Barbara Gray, General Manager of Toronto Transportation Services. "This not only extends the lifespan of the equipment but also directly responds to acts of vandalism."
Despite criticism, data shows that the ASE system has significantly improved speeding behaviors. A joint study by SickKids Hospital and Toronto Metropolitan University found that after the cameras were activated, the speeding rate in 30-kilometer-per-hour zones dropped from 60% to 43%, with similar improvements observed in 40-kilometer-per-hour and 50-kilometer-per-hour zones.
Toronto revealed that it may introduce more advanced automated enforcement systems in the future. Earlier this year, officials mentioned they were studying solutions to catch drivers blocking intersections and other traffic violations.
Original Article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829597593661452/
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