Ottawa Pushing Back On Plan To Ban to Speed Cameras

An Ottawa city councillor is pushing back against Premier Doug Ford’s plan to ban automated speed enforcement cameras, insisting that school zones should remain protected by photo radar. Councillor Tim Tierney tabled a notice of

The motion will be debated at the Oct. 22 council meeting.

Tierney argued that while policy changes may come, “school zones must remain the priority.” His motion urges council to acknowledge the safety benefits documented since the cameras were introduced and to formally request the province either exempt school zones from the ban or allow a 12-month transition period if cameras must be removed.

Ottawa currently operates 60 automated speed enforcement cameras, with 50 placed near schools and 24 more scheduled for installation this fall. However, city staff have paused any new installation work following provincial direction. Thirteen sites are already partially completed, with work expected to finish by mid-November.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has also voiced opposition to the provincial directive. Speaking to reporters, he said he “respectfully disagrees” with Premier Ford’s characterization of the cameras as a “cash grab,” noting data clearly shows reduced speeding in school areas where enforcement is active. According to city figures, driver compliance with speed limits jumped from 16 per cent before cameras were installed to 87 per cent four years later.

Ford has doubled down on his position, calling the cameras a revenue tool rather than a safety measure. His government plans to legislate their removal and require municipalities to install new warning signage by mid-November, with permanent flashing-light systems in place by 2026.

Tierney countered that Ottawa reinvests all photo radar revenue into its Road Safety Action Plan, funding intersection upgrades, signage, and infrastructure designed to protect pedestrians and students. Between 2020 and 2024, the cameras generated $60 million, with an additional $20 million collected so far in 2025 — revenue the city says directly supports safety engineering and enforcement efforts.

Statistics published by the city show over one million speeding tickets have been issued since the program began in July 2020, including more than 190,000 in the first half of 2025 alone. Tierney acknowledged that cameras could be deactivated in rural or high-speed zones but maintained that school areas must remain protected.

“We know where they work,” he said. “And they work where kids cross the street.”