Despite speed cameras and speed bumps on Barrie streets, what residents really want to slow traffic is more cops on the road, according to a recent city survey.
Prepared by city communications staff for Barrie residents, the survey asked and received responses from 1,749 people from June 3 to Sept. 15 this year.
The question was: "If there is a surplus of funds from the automated speed enforcement (ASE cameras) program, what are the top three areas where the money should be reinvested, to improve road safety in Barrie?"
Number one was more monitoring and/or enforcement by Barrie police, followed by improvements to intersection safety and/or pedestrian signals.
Barrie’s Gord MacBain had another idea for the top of the survey list.
“Without a doubt, red-light cameras,” he said. “If they had the same effect as the speed cameras it would be the best thing ever for safety in town. It’s gotten to the point where you’re reluctant to stop for the yellow (light) because you’re afraid the guy behind you is going to think that you’re running it and plows into you.”
Third on the survey list is adding more ASE cameras, which the city is already doing. Last June, city council approved leasing two more speed cameras, which will 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, but it’s expected to happen sometime this fall.
The fourth choice was an adult crossing-guard program. Also in June, plans for an adult school crossing-guard program in Barrie were sent to the city’s community safety committee.
The fifth choice was adding more speed cushions and/or speed bumps, temporary and permanent, on city streets.
The city survey also had numerous responses that ranged from bicycle lanes to improving streets and doing more road repairs to an increased police presence.
The Barrie Police Service declined to provide the number of officers or hours worked for its traffic unit, but did say it takes both proactive and reactive safety measures.
Derek Orr, of Barrie, also has some ideas what should be on the survey list, and where.
“Immediately, I would say speed bumps in areas of school and especially in 40-kilometre zones,” he told BarrieToday. “Increased police surveillance may be another, but honestly I just think speed cameras are just a cash grab and do nothing to reduce speed unless they are clearly advertised, nor do they help the immediate safety of children around schools.
“The idea is to stop speeding not to fine (drivers) after the fact in which children or adults were at risk during the speeding offence," Orr added.
Orr, 82, was caught on ASE cameras Sept. 19 and 20 on Little Avenue, travelling 62 and 64 kilometres per hour in a 40 km/h zone. He was ticketed nearly $450.
The city last released financial details on its ASE camera program in late March. It nailed 9,240 vehicles for speeding at the two initial Barrie locations, from Dec. 1, 2023 until Feb. 18 this year, on Big Bay Point Road and Anne Street North, with paid speeding fines totalling $463,065.
As the ASE program began, city staff said Barrie’s camera equipment cost $100,000 and yearly operating costs were $370,000, with fines covering a portion of the ASE program’s costs.
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.
From mid-July until early October, Barrie’s ASE zones were located southbound on Prince William Way, near Saint Gabriel the Archangel Catholic School, and eastbound on Little Avenue, near Assikinack Public School.
The cameras are now westbound on Wellington Street West near Hillcrest Public School and eastbound on Grove Street East near Eastview Secondary School.
City figures released last week also show that ASE cameras in four zones have been successful in achieving speeding reductions in the two initial community safety zone locations, when compared to the use of flashing 40 kilometres per hour amber beacons during peak school hours this year.
And in four locations, during peak school hours, speeds were reduced by 16 km/h at the Essa Road northbound location Feb. 29 to May 14, cut by three km/h at the Ardagh Road westbound location March 1 to May 14, lowered by seven km/h at the Cundles Road eastbound location and decreased by nine km/h at the Leacock Drive southbound location, both stretches of street on May 15 to July 12.
Based on the rates of speed exceeding the maximum speed limit during the operation at these locations, the average ASE fine per ticket is around $90.
That 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.
Speed cameras are being rotated through different community safety zones every few months. 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.
Barrie has used ASE cameras since December 2023. Tickets are mailed out within 23 days after an ASE violation, according to the city.
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