Drivers face automated speed-enforcement (ASE) cameras at two new Barrie locations.
Speeders can now be snapped eastbound on Blake Street near Johnson Street Public School, and southbound on Yonge Street near St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School.
“To those local folk who respect the laws, it is heartwarming to see something being done to protect our communities. Not just the young, but all ages,” said Barrie resident Colin McLarty. “I do believe the speed cameras are working. But it will take time.
“Unfortunately, it is a long-term project,” he added.
“People are definitely driving slower in speed zones. Whether things are safer or not, I have no idea,” said Matheus Oomen-Hurst, who has lived in south Barrie for about 20 years.
“I have noticed that many drivers are keeping their speed at 40 (kilometres an hour) in the school zones and I believe it is due to the cameras,” said Gordon MacBain, also of Barrie.
Until recently, the two speed cameras had been westbound on Wellington Street West near Hillcrest Public School, and eastbound on Grove Street East near Eastview Secondary School.
ASE is a system that uses a camera and a speed-measuring device to detect and capture images of the licence plates of vehicles travelling faster than the posted speed limit in school or community safety zones.
Speed cameras are being rotated through different community safety zones in Barrie every few months. 'Municipal Speed Camera in Use' signs are installed when cameras are active and tickets are being issued.
From mid-July until early October, Barrie’s ASE camera zones were located southbound on Prince William Way near Saint Gabriel the Archangel Catholic School, and eastbound on Little Avenue near Assikinack Public School.
In June, city council approved leasing two more speed cameras, which would give Barrie four instead of two speed-camera zones for ticketing, as each location requires one camera.
Barrie has not yet gone from two to four ASE zones, which was supposed to happen in the fall — although there are signs saying speed cameras 'coming soon' at Veterans’ Drive near Mapleton Avenue, and on Mapleton near St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School.
McLarty said that, unfortunately, there are many drivers who don’t focus on the privilege afforded them with the right to drive a vehicle.
“We do not have enough police to catch everyone who breaks the laws, or the jails to hold them in, or the court system to try them,” he said, mentioning a wide range of crimes.
MacBain said he’d also like to see red-light cameras at Barrie intersections.
“I’m sure they would have the same effect as the ASE cameras,” he said. “In my opinion, drivers running yellow and red lights are one of the most dangerous practices out there. My wife and I spend quite a bit of time in Toronto and we’ve noticed that they have implemented quite a few (red-light cameras) down there.”
Barrie has used ASE cameras since December 2023. Tickets are mailed out within 23 days after an ASE violation, according to the city.
The city has 27 community safety zones, established by city council through a bylaw, and cover road areas where there is a higher risk to, or concern for, drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and/or others who share the space.
May through mid-July 2024, the ASE cameras were southbound on Leacock Drive near St. Mary's Catholic School, and eastbound on Cundles Road East near St. Joseph's Catholic High School and Frère-André Catholic Elementary School.
In March and April 2024, cameras were northbound on Essa Road near Timothy Christian School, and westbound on Ardagh Road in the vicinity of Heritage Baptist Church.
At the initial location, from December 2023 through February 2024, the ASE cameras were eastbound on Big Bay Point Road near Willow Landing and St. Michael the Archangel Catholic elementary schools, and southbound on Anne Street North near Portage View Public School and Nouvelle-Alliance high school.
The number of tickets issued relate to whether the image captured is of adequate quality to issue a ticket. Based on the rates of speed exceeding the maximum speed limit during the operation at these locations, the average ASE fine per ticket is approximately $90.
This $90 cost is the same as an average ticket issued by police officers for the same violation, according to city staff, but an ASE violation does not include the loss of demerit points or a record on a driver’s licence, as the ticket is issued to the owner of the vehicle not the driver.
There is a significant difference between the tickets issued and the number of violations recorded, as the focus is on reviewing events recorded weekdays 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., as this is the prime period when vulnerable members of the community may be impacted by speeding, and due to limited available resources to process violations, city officials have said.
City staff are also establishing an ASE reserve, to be funded through net fine revenue collected (after offsetting costs associated with operating the program) and the money available in this reserve would be used for temporary and permanent traffic calming measures such as speed cushions, intersection improvements (including raised intersections), road improvements, more traffic signals, flexible bollards, planters, radar speed boards and expanding the ASE program.
