WELLINGTON NORTH – Wellington County municipalities could soon consider the use of automated speed enforcement within their boundaries.
County councillor Campbell Cork outlined the concept to Wellington North council members during their Nov. 9 videoconference meeting.
Cork told council traffic problems are among the concerns he most often hears about when speaking with local citizens.
“Traffic is the big one,” noted Cork, who pointed out the Wellington OPP consider speeding – along with impaired driving, distracted driving and seat belt usage – one of their “big four” traffic concerns.
To illustrate the extent of the problem, Cork said the Wellington OPP have a cruiser equipped with an automated license plate reader “and this cruiser patrolling in the month of August for just 33 hours … resulted in 39 charges under the Highway Traffic Act.
“Meanwhile, Wellington OPP have about 50 to 60 areas in the county, including Wellington North, where they’re trying to address identified traffic ,” said Cork.
He added police must determine real concerns from less urgent problems in order to target enforcement or other measures.
Cork noted the county recently purchased seven Black Cat cameras which can be installed in problem areas “so that police get full information with what’s going on with traffic on that street.”
The cameras can provide information on the speed and types of vehicles to help determine “if they’re cars or if they’re 18-wheelers that are causing the problem.”
The cameras can also provide information on the time of incidents and direction of traffic travelling through a given area.
Using that information, “the police get a real picture and can determine if the problem is legitimate or not.”
Cork said police can then consider solutions, such as four way stops, lower speed limits, traffic calming devices, digital speed signs “and possibly a traditional cruiser with radar.
“But the one thing we know is we can’t afford to bring in police cruisers with police officers doing traffic radar for every problem area,” Cork explained.
“One of the possible solutions is a type of photo radar that might be brought in.”
Cork said the speed cameras under consideration would cost about $50,000 per unit (the Black Cats cost about $4,000 per unit).
“It certainly is less expensive than an officer,” said Cork, noting the annual cost of an officer and cruiser has been pegged at about $200,000.
“The question for you is going to be each Wellington municipality is going to have to decide for itself if they want this type of automated speed enforcement in their municipality,” said Cork.
“Automated speed enforcement systems are used only in school zones and Community Safety Zones where the speed limit is under 80 kilometres an hour,” he added, noting the systems could be used on municipal or county roads, but not on provincial highways.
Councillor Steven McCabe asked if each municipality would be billed for the cost of a camera if it chooses to utilize the system.
“That’s a good question,” said Cork, who said he anticipates the county will pick up the cost through the police budget.
“’The question for Wellington North council is whether they want that in their municipality? All seven municipalities will be asked that,” Cork explained.
Mayor Andy Lennox said, “I’m sure we will want to hear more about the automated speed enforcement as we go forward and I know that at the county we are going to have some further discussion on the Community Safety Zones as well.
“So perhaps those two pieces of information will help inform some of our decisions here locally.”
