London to receive $1.2M for traffic calming, replacing speed cameras in school zones

As speed cameras were shut down Friday, $1.2 million has been allocated for traffic calming in school zones. CTV’s Bryan Bicknell reports.

London, Ont. will be on the receiving end of $1.2 million from the provincial government to improve traffic safety in school zones.

It’s part of a $210 million investment to support increased road safety in school and community zones in communities across Ontario.

It follows the Doug Ford government’s decision to close the lens on automated speed enforcement cameras, outlawing them in Ontario as of Friday.

“There has been a large uptake in the number of people speeding down this street since the speed cameras have been removed,” said Amber Wild-DeMarco, who lives on Wavell Street across from Prince Charles Public School in London.

An automated speed camera had been installed in front of the school for three months from May to July earlier this year. Wild-Demarco says since then she’s noticed a big difference in the volume of speeding drivers.

“In fact, there’s often a police officer just parked outside the school who I saw pull over at least three people in one day. But several people per week,” said Wild-DeMarco.

She’s upset the camera won’t be coming back – but she’s not alone.

Area resident Travis Kicks walks his five-year-old nephew Noah to his junior kindergarten class at Prince Charles Public School every day. He also believes removing cameras permanently is the wrong move for this busy roadway.

“It’s pretty speedy, like no one would stop for the light sometimes. Just speeding around the corner there. I think they shouldn’t get rid of them,” he said.

The government passed legislation Thursday, banning automated enforcement cameras, with the premier calling them a “cash grab.”

London had seven automated speed enforcement cameras, which were rotated to school zones around the city. Last year they generated $500,000 in ticket revenue. However, after expenses the city only saw $105,000.

Of the $210 million provincial investment, London’s $1.2 million interim allocation can only be spent on the following:

• Temporary enforcement measures
• Traffic calming (speed bumps, raised crosswalks, roundabouts)
• Improved signage

The funding cannot be used for anything that removes a lane of traffic.

Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis says it’s up to the city now to prioritize how and where the funding is spent.

“We’ve been aggressively rolling out traffic calming in our school zones since the last term of council under mayor Holder. That’s continuing. We’ve got about half of our school zones done across the city. We need to prioritize finishing those,” Lewis said.