Speeds increase 8-10 km/h at former Ottawa photo radar camera locations since cameras banned

A Community Safety Zone sign on Katimavik Road in Ottawa's Kanata neighbourhood. A photo radar camera was located on the road until November 2025. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)

More drivers have been speeding in Ottawa’s school zones since the Ontario government banned photo radar cameras last fall.

The City of Ottawa has been collecting data at the eight locations where the city first piloted photo radar cameras in 2020.

The data, released this week, shows the average speed increased 8 km/h to 10 km/h at seven of the eight photo radar locations between October, the last full month for photo radar cameras, and April. Approximately 70 per cent of drivers were observed speeding at three former photo radar locations in April, compared to only 10 per cent of drivers speeding over the limit last October.

The Ontario government passed legislation last fall to ban automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras on roads across the province and required municipalities to turn off the cameras by Nov. 14, 2025. Municipalities need to install large new signs to slow down drivers in areas where photo radar cameras were located, with permanent, large signs with flashing lights to be in place by September.

The city initially installed eight photo radar cameras as a pilot project in 2020, before expanding the program. The eight initial locations were

• Longfields Drive, between Highbury Park Drive and Via Verona Avenue
• Innes Road, between Provence Avenue and Trim Road
• Bayshore Drive near St. Rose of Lima School
• Katimavik Road, between Castlefrank Road and McGibbon Drive
• Watters Drive, between Charlemagne Boulevard and Roberval Avenue
• Ogilvie Road, between Appleford Street and Elmlea Gate
• Smyth Road, between Haig Drive and Edgecomb Street
• Meadowlands Drive, between Winthrow Avenue and Thatcher Street

According to city data, only 25 per cent of drivers complied with the posted speed limit on Longfields Drive in April, down from 38 per cent of drivers complying with the speed limit in March and 62 per cent of drivers complying with the speed limit last December.

The average speed observed on Longfields Drive at the site of the former photo radar camera was 45 km/h in April, compared to 35 km/h last October.

Only 24 per cent of drivers were complying with the posted speed limit at the former photo radar location on Watters Drive in April, compared to 23 per cent compliance in March and 38 per cent of drivers complying with the speed limit in December. The average speed observed at the former photo radar location was 45 km/h, compared to 36 km/h last October.

At the former photo radar camera location on Bayshore Drive, 31 per cent of drivers were observed complying with the speed limit in April, compared to a 34 per cent compliance rate in March and a 32 per cent compliance rate in December.

The photo radar camera on Ogilvie Road had the highest compliance rate five months after the cameras were turned off. The data shows 64 per cent of drivers observed the posted speed limit at the Ogilvie Road location in April, compared to 58 per cent compliance in March and 55 per cent compliance in December.

The average speed at the Ogilvie Road camera location only increased 2 km/h between October 2025 and April.

At the former photo radar camera location on Smyth Road, near the Ottawa Hospital and CHEO, 47 per cent of drivers complied with the posted speed limit in April, compared to 44 per cent compliance in March and 52 per cent compliance in December.

The city had 60 photo radar cameras in school zones and high-speed locations before the cameras were deactivated last fall.

A total of 1,143,240 speeding tickets were issued through Ottawa’s automated speed enforcement camera program between July 2020 and November 2025, including 279,595 tickets in 2025 and 383,830 tickets in 2024.

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Compliance with the speed limit

A look at the percentage of drivers complying with the posted speed limit at the eight original photo radar locations and the average speed of drivers at the camera locations. Data courtesy City of Ottawa Open Data.

Longfields Drive

• October 2025: 91 per cent compliance
• December 2025: 62 per cent compliance
• March 2026: 38 per cent compliance
• April 2026: 25 per cent compliance
• Average speed recorded in October 2025: 35 km/h
• Average speed recorded in April 2026:  45 km/h

Innes Road

• October 2025: 88 per cent compliance
• December 2025: 50 per cent compliance
• March 2026: 38 per cent compliance
• April 2026: 35 per cent compliance
• Average speed recorded in October 2025: 54 km/h
• Average speed recorded in April 2026: 63 km/h

Bayshore Drive

• October 2025: 88 per cent compliance
• December 2025: 32 per cent compliance
• March 2026: 34 per cent compliance
• April 2026: 31 per cent compliance
• Average speed recorded in October 2025:  34 km/h
• Average speed recorded in April 2026: 44 km/h

Katimavik Road

• October 2025: 86 per cent compliance
• December 2025: 58 per cent compliance
• March 2026: 29 per cent compliance
• April 2026: 37 per cent compliance
• Average speed recorded in October 2025: 35 km/h
• Average speed recorded in April 2026: 43 km/h

Watters Drive

• October 2025: 88 per cent compliance
• December 2025: 38 per cent compliance
• March 2026: 23 per cent compliance
• April 2026: 24 per cent compliance
• Average speed recorded in October 2025: 36 km/h
• Average speed recorded in April 2026: 45km/h

Ogilvie Road

• October 2025: 86 per cent compliance
• December 2025: 55 per cent compliance
• March 2026: 58 per cent compliance
• April 2026: 64 per cent compliance
• Average speed recorded in October 2025: 45 km/h
• Average speed recorded in April 2026: 47 km/h

Smyth Road

• October 2025: 94 per cent compliance
• December 2025: 52 per cent compliance
• March 2026: 44 per cent compliance
• April 2026: 45 per cent compliance
• Average speed recorded in October 2025: 41 km/h
• Average speed recorded in April 2026: 51 km/h

Meadowlands Drive

• October 2025: 90 per cent compliance
• December 2025: 51 per cent compliance
• March 2026: 26 per cent compliance
• April 2026: 35 per cent compliance
• Average speed recorded in October 2025: 35 km/h
• Average speed recorded in April 2026: 43 km/h