Drivers speeding through Bradford are being put on notice.
Members of town council, staff, the community and traffic safety advisory committee and South Simcoe Police Service gathered on Professor Day Drive Thursday afternoon to unveil a new sign warning that speed cameras are coming soon.
“The most frequent concern we hear from our community is regarding speeding, especially in our neighbourhood streets,” Ward 5 Coun. and advisory committee chair Peter Ferragine said in a press release from the town.
As part of a one-year pilot project with Global Traffic Solutions, four speed cameras will operate remotely, to automatically detect and photograph vehicles exceeding the speed limit so tickets can be issued to the owners.
The town is required to post advanced warning signage at all of its automated speed enforcement (ASE) locations, at least 90 days before the cameras become active.
“Integrating ASE in BWG is an important step that (councillors) mutually support and are proudly taking to ensure safer streets throughout our community,” said Mayor James Leduc in the release. “We look forward to reviewing the results of the pilot in 2025.”
Initially, the cameras are expected to be installed along:
- Line 7 — between Lallien Drive and Dixon Road
- Holland Street West — between West Park Avenue and Professor Day Drive
- Professor Day Drive — south of Breeze Drive and West Park Avenue
- Simcoe Road — near Catania Avenue
However, the portable cameras are planned to be relocated every four months, and Ferragine said the town intends to target the community safety zones which see the greatest amount of speeding.
The cameras are battery-operated and can be operated out of various roadside boxes or mounted to posts or poles, according to staff.
Good for more than just issuing tickets, the cameras come paired with software that offers traffic counts, vehicle speeds and stop data, which provides “detailed insight into driver behaviour,” including “when, where, how many, how fast, and shows stopping behaviour at schools, playgrounds, and intersections,” according to an October report from Paul Dubniak, transportation technologist.
While staff time will be required to support the program, Dubniak previously explained “there appears to be no initial capital or ‘buy-in’ costs and the program is supported through a revenue-sharing formula.”
After a brief pause in September to reconsider their options, council approved the current project during its Oct. 3 meeting.
The town had previously been on track to enter into a contract with Toronto’s Joint Processing Centre (JPC) and Barrie courts, under which the town’s capital costs were estimated to be about $60,000 for the initial buy-in and between $4,000 and $8,000 per month for each speed camera.
For more information, visit townofbwg.com/ASE.
