Speed cameras being installed in 15 Ottawa school zones over the next year

The City of Ottawa says it's expanding its Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program after a successful year-long pilot project.

Eight ASE cameras were installed in school zones across the city last year, and in an announcement on Friday, October 15, the city says new cameras will be added to 15 school more zones over the next year.

Signage announcing the installment of ASE cameras will be posted in October at these three locations:

• St. Laurent Boulevard from Noranda Avenue to Clarke Avenue
• Bearbrook Road from Centrepark Drive to Innes Road
• Greenbank Road from Jockvale Road to Half Moon Bay

In accordance with provincial regulations, warning signs will be posted at these new ASE locations for 90 days before any tickets can be issued. The first three locations are expected to be operational by mid-January 2022. 

Like the red-light cameras, ASE tickets are issued to the vehicle plate holder, not the driver. Only a monetary fine is issued without any loss of demerit points.

The other new locations scheduled to have warning signage and have ASE cameras installed over the next year include:

• Tenth Line Road from Amiens Street to Des Epinettes Avenue
• Abbott Street east from Moss Hill trail to Shea Road
• Kanata Avenue from Goulbourn Forced Road to Walden Drive
• Stittsville Main Street from Bandelier Way to Hazeldean Road
• Woodroffe Avenue from Georgina Drive to Highway 417
• Greenbank Road from Harrison Street to Banner Road
• Fisher Avenue from Deer Park Road to Kintyre Private
• Alta Vista Drive from Ayers Avenue to Ridgemont Avenue
• Crestway Drive from Oldfield Street to Hathaway Drive
• Chapman Mills Drive from Beatrice Drive to Meadgate Gate
• Abbeyhill Drive from Aldburn Place to Sherwood Street
• Bridgestone Drive from Sunnybrooke Drive to Granite Court

The city says 101,778 tickets were issued by the eight cameras that were part of its pilot program, from mid-July 2020 to mid-July 2021, and generated approximately $5.4-million in revenue. The revenue generated from the Automated Speed Enforcement program is expected to be reinvested into the Safer Roads Ottawa program, which uses education, engineering and enforcement to promote greater road safety for all road users.

Data showed that ASE had a positive impact on driver speed and safety on average at all eight locations. Benefits from the program include:

• 200 per cent increase in compliance with the speed limit
• 11 per cent decrease at which 85 per cent of the traffic is travelling at or below the speed limit
• 72 per cent decrease in drivers traveling at 15 km/h over the speed limit