Ontario mayors urge Ford to drop province-wide school speed camera ban

Twenty mayors, a deputy mayor, and a county warden from across Ontario are calling on Premier Doug Ford and Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria to drop plans for a province-wide ban on automated speed enforcement (ASE) in school zones.

In a joint letter released Friday, the 22 municipal leaders urged the province to compromise instead of cancelling the program. If a ban goes ahead, they requested full reimbursement of municipal costs linked to scrapping ASE, including staff severance, additional policing, and public safety programs funded by speed camera revenues.

Costs and safety at stake

Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, who signed the letter, said her city has already spent several hundred thousand dollars on six cameras that were set for installation. Because the cameras have not yet issued fines, Burlington has been unable to recover costs or fund planned safety measures.

“All taxpayers will now have to pay for that instead of the speeders,” Meed Ward said. “Our letter is really our plea. It’s an SOS to the premier — a ‘save our schoolkids.’”

Newmarket Mayor John Taylor added that alternatives such as speed bumps and flashing signs have already been tested. “We know what truly works … and that’s speed cameras,” he told York regional council.

Studies back ASE cameras

Contrary to Ford’s claims that ASE is ineffective, a July 2025 study by SickKids Hospital and Toronto Metropolitan University found speed cameras reduced speeding by 45 per cent in 250 school zones.

The mayors said these numbers represent fewer injuries, fewer deaths, and greater peace of mind for families. They noted support for ASE from the Ontario Traffic Council, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, and a CAA South Central Ontario survey showing nearly three-quarters of drivers support back cameras near schools and community centres.

The Ford government defends the ban.

Premier Ford has argued that cameras do not improve safety and said municipalities should instead use speed bumps, raised crosswalks, and roundabouts to slow drivers. The province announced a new fund to help offset costs, but has not disclosed an amount. A spokesperson said Ontario would also “look to indemnify municipalities from contractual obligations” linked to cancelled cameras.

Divided municipal response

While Brampton and Toronto voted to continue with ASE programs, Vaughan decided to shut its system down after drivers received more than 30,000 tickets in three weeks. Toronto has also struggled to maintain its cameras, with 47 vandalized in under a year.

The future of ASE remains uncertain as municipalities press the province for clarity. No date has been given for when the ban might take effect.