Cookstown camera puts red-light running in rearview mirror

The amount of money brought in from the red-light camera at Cookstown’s four corners is less than anticipated – and that’s a good thing.

“The number of red-light violations post camera installation is lower than initially projected, which means the camera is having an even greater than anticipated improvement on traffic safety,” a staff report on the matter indicated.

The report was included for information in the Sept. 25 meeting of Innisfil council, discussing the successes, to date, of the red-light camera operation and the next steps for automated speed enforcement (ASE) in the municipality.

The town has netted about $70,000 in the first half of 2024 from the red-light camera, representing about 61 per cent of the total fines levied. The remaining amount is collected by the Barrie Provincial Offences Court to cover costs.

The camera was turned on in December 2023. Staff will provide a full breakdown of the finances once the camera has a full year of operation under its belt.

Already, it appears to be having a measurable impact on traffic safety, even if the numbers are preliminary.

Red-light cameras are particularly valuable in reducing T-bone collisions, the staff report stated. Admittedly, few of those crashes occurred at the corner of Highway 89 and County Road 27 over the past four years – just once, earlier in 2023, prior to the camera being installed – but the intersection had become notorious for red-light running.

A traffic study from Feb. 13 to Feb. 19 saw more than 450 east-west instances where a vehicle did not stop for a red light. A follow-up study in July saw fewer, but still more than 330.

Since installation, instances of red-light running had been reduced by 91 per cent, staff indicated, a “marked decrease.”

“The average number of incidents per week post-installation has dropped to 36,” the report stated. “This decline reflects the effectiveness of the red-light camera in deterring drivers from running red lights, which contributes to the observed reduction in collisions at the intersection. The reduction in red-light running not only highlights the success of the enforcement but also supports the overall improvement in intersection safety.”

During the meeting, Nicole Bowman, the town's director of operations, was able to show more emotion regarding the cameras than the formal report would allow.

“We are pretty excited about the results of the red light cameras in Cookstown, with the 91 per cent reduction in red-light running we’ve seen,” she said.

No rear-end collisions have been reported since installation either, the staff report indicated, contradicting data from the United States that showed an increase in those types of collisions at intersections with red light cameras. And while there were no examples of collisions with pedestrians previously, the concerns of such an instance occurring “the camera appears to have mitigated concerns related to close calls.”

Council also OK'd the location of an ASE camera in the vicinity of Nantyr Shores Secondary School in Alcona.

In Octover 2023, a survey was conducted along Jans Boulevard, encompassing a 750-metre stretch from Webster Boulevard. During this seven-day period, the third-party conducting the research determined that 85 per cent of traffic was moving at more than 20 km/h over the posted 40 km/h speed limit.

The speed camera will be placed on Jans, south of Westmount Avenue, near the high school. It will remain in that spot for approximately three months.

The revised go-live date for the camera will be Nov. 5, Bowman said.

Staff didn’t provide council with an estimate of how much money the ASE was expected to bring in at this location.

“Additional financial information will be provided once the system is implemented and operational. A more detailed financial report will be presented once the camera has been operational for a full year,” the staff report stated. “It is important to remember that these tools are intended to enhance community safety rather than serve as revenue generation.”

Bradford West Gwillimbury, while bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue from its cameras, is already seeing how they are contributing to safer roads, Mayor Lynn Dollin told her colleagues.

Relaying information from the most recent South Simcoe Police Services Board meeting, Dollin said statistics for collisions in Innisfil’s southern neighbour saw a “significant” decrease last month.

The revenue generated from the red light camera and ASE will be reinvested into community traffic safety efforts, including the town’s traffic calming project, as per previous council direction.

While other municipalities in the areas have transitioned to administrative monetary penalties (AMP) for the fines generated by red light cameras or ASEs, Innisfil still uses the Provincial Offenses Act model for violators.

Staff is expected to provide council with more direction on potentially switching to an AMP system for these offenses in the new year.