Councillor wants revenue from Ottawa's photo radar cameras to be invested in neighbourhoods

The chair of Ottawa's transportation committee is hitting the brakes on calls to invest revenue from photo radar camera tickets into the neighbourhoods where the traffic offence occurs, saying the idea would turn the cameras "into a cash grab."

This after Coun. Stephanie Plante suggested her ward of Rideau-Vanier should see some of the money generated by the automated speed enforcement camera on King Edward Avenue, the busiest photo radar camera in the city.

Ottawa's 40 automated speed enforcement cameras have issued 154,341 tickets in the first five months of the year. The camera on King Edward Avenue near Cathcart Street issued 18,150 tickets in its first three months of operation. 

"We have a lot of drivers who think that is a highway, it is not," Plante said. "It's in a residential area, so I do think it's important that when people break the law there is some sort of fine for that action."

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All revenue generated from tickets issued via the automated speed enforcement and red light cameras are invested in Ottawa's Road Safety Action Plan, which uses education, engineering and enforcement to promote road safety for all road users.

However, Plante says the revenue should support local neighbourhoods.

"This is a low-income community that mainly lives in public housing that desperately needs refurbished parks, bigger sidewalks, more amenities, more going towards things like programming for kids and seniors," Plante told CTV News Ottawa.

Some residents support Plante's proposal.

"It's money that was made from King Edward, which is in this area and there is a large need for homeless people to have homes," said Peggy Nesbitt Monday evening.

Plante says the thousands of tickets issued every month for speeding on King Edward Avenue is a sign they are working.

"We are not the only municipality that has been relying on them. Montreal is going a step further to put them in all school zones without question," Plante said.

Plante plans to bring the proposal for revenue from camera-based tickets to support the neighbourhood where the infraction occurs to the transportation committee.

The chair of the committee says the idea is a non-starter.

"Hard no. The money that we collect as a sin tax, in my opinion, it's to go to risk and safety for pedestrians, for cyclists and drivers," Coun. Tim Tierney told Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron.

"When you start playing the game of its just like home – you have a chequing account and a savings account. In this case, you have one specifically for safety and then you have your general revenues, If you start moving stuff into general revenues, we are taking away from what we do or should be doing is advocating for the money."

Tierney adds photo radar and red light camera tickets "turn into a cash grab the second it goes into general revenues."

The councillor notes several wards don't have photo radar cameras, mainly in the downtown ward.

Ottawa plans to expand the photo radar camera program to 60 locations by the end of 2024.

Ottawa's 85 red light cameras issued 14,887 tickets in the first four months of the year. The red light camera on King Edward Avenue at St. Patrick Street issued 1,346 tickets in the first four months of the year, while the camera on King Edward at St. Andrew has issued 532 tickets.