Photo radar program aims to stop speeders in Whitchurch-Stouffville

By Steve Pecar, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Speeders will soon have to contend with more photo radar on Whitchurch-Stouffville roads.

The town has approved a plan to lease the devices and install them by the spring of next year along stretches of road deemed to be community safety zones (CSZ).

Officially called Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras, these devices snap pictures of vehicles travelling beyond the speed limit. Once the information is verified, the culprit will be issued a ticket by mail.

Generally, fines can reach as high as $588 for those going almost 50 km/h over the speed limit but most penalties are in the $80 to $90 range, according to provincial data.

In Whitchurch-Stouffville, 17 areas have been designated community safety zones. These zones are generally near schools and parks and are meant to slow traffic to keep children safe.

The cameras will be placed on town roads where data shows they are most needed, but because of their portability, they can be relocated if results show drivers slowing down in a targeted area. The locations have yet to be determined, but signage warning of their installation will be set up on the roads in advance.

York Region is already operating a similar program on regional roads, with two currently in Whitchurch-Stouffville. The York program also catches speeders at five Markham locations.

“It goes without saying that everyone of us understands that traffic and especially speeding is one of the topics of concern for our residents, and we are taking major steps to address that,” said Ward 1 Councillor Hugo Kroon at a recent council meeting.

A report presented at the council meeting pointed out that while the fines will create a financial benefit for the town, the goal of ASE is to stop drivers from speeding, not to catch them.

“We hope this is the biggest failure,” said town Chief Administrative Officer Sunny Bains in emphasizing the motivation for the program is not to give tickets to drivers and collect fines. “The goal is to correct driver behaviour and make our town safer.”

Kroon agreed, saying by hitting speeders in the pocketbook, they may learn their lesson and slow down.

The cost of cameras has not been set but will be included in next year’s budget. The processing of the fines will be carried out with Newmarket which has its own ASE system.

The following list shows the community safety zone where the ASE cameras could be placed:

·         Felcher Boulevard — Iroquois Drive to Tamarac Drive

·         Forsyth Farm Drive — Greenwood Road to Penndutch Circle

·         Gar Lehman Avenue — Elmer Daniels Court to Joseph Todd Road

·         Joseph Todd Ave — Reeves Way Boulevard to Gar Lehman Avenue

·         Glad Park Avenue — John Davis Gate to Elm Road

·         Greenwood Road — Forsyth Farm Drive to Millard Street

·         Hoover Park Drive — Highway 48 to Durham Road 30

·         Main Street — Park Drive to Durham Road 30

·         Mantle Avenue — Durham Road 30 to Byers Pond Way

·         Meridian Drive — Ninth Line to Suttontrail Way

·         Millard Street — Highway 48 to Main Street

·         Mostar Street — Hoover Park Drive to Main Street

·         Mostar Street — Hoover Park Drive to Clamerton Road/Goudie Crescent

·         Reeves Way Boulevard — Hoover Park Drive to Ninth Line

·         Stouffer Street — Main Street to Lori Avenue

·         Sunset Boulevard — Ninth Line to Albert Street

·         Yakefarm Boulevard — Hoover Park Drive to Mantle Avenue