Write-in campaign to save the speed cameras underway in Brampton

A write-in campaign launched by the city is calling on Brampton residents to speak out about Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s upcoming speed camera ban.

Ontario launched its Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) camera program in 2019, and has since seen many municipalities install cameras as a safety and traffic-calming tool.

Ford has been on the warpath in recent weeks and plans to remove all ASE cameras across the province, calling them a “cash grab” after a petition in Brampton urged for them to be scrapped.

But members of Brampton City Council have called for speed cameras in school zones to be spared, and the city has launched a new write-in campaign for residents to urge local MPs and Ford to cancel the ban.

“Residents play a critical role in keeping streets safe. You can make a difference by contacting your MPP and provincial decision-makers to keep ASE in Ontario,” the city says of the letter-writing campaign.

The city has also made pro-ASE infographics and messages available for posting on social media, saying “every share amplifies our campaign to protect children and vulnerable road users.​”

Reports from the city have shown the ASE program has led to an average reduction of 9.33 km/h at locations where the cameras are placed in Brampton. Five zones have seen reductions of 20 km/h or more, with the biggest average drop of 25.39 km/h at North Park Drive west of Massy Street.

Brampton began up-scaling its automated speed enforcement (ASE) camera program in 2023 by approving more 100 new cameras, and also purchased an ASE ticket processing facility for $78 million that promised to generate around $30 million in revenue every year with annual expenses of some $13 million.

Mayor Patrick Brown has called on the province to reimburse municipalities for ASE camera expenses if the province-wide ban goes through, but Ford hasn’t agreed to any paybacks.

In the first few years of operation, Brampton issued an average of 81 tickets per day, or roughly 30,000 tickets per year, generating around $3.45 million in revenue annually. Those numbers have increased significantly with new cameras installed, but up-to-date information is not available.

You can find more information on the write-in campaign and ASE cameras in Brampton by visiting www.Brampton.ca.