‘Speed kills’: Olivia Chow urges province to keep automated speed cameras
Posted September 25, 2025 10:42 am.
Last Updated September 25, 2025 12:55 pm.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is urging city councillors and the Ontario government to preserve automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras, calling them a proven tool to save lives as the Ford government moves to ban their use across the province.
In a letter sent on Thursday to the city’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee, Chow said eliminating ASE would be a “mistake that will hurt communities in Toronto and across Ontario.” She pointed to recent tragedies, including the death of 15-year-old Christina Huang earlier this year in Scarborough, as evidence of the dangers of speeding in neighbourhoods.
“Speed kills,” Chow wrote. “Since 2024, 250 Torontonians have died or been seriously injured on our roads. We must do everything we can to eliminate these tragedies, including optimizing our use of tools like automated speed enforcement.”
The mayor’s comments come one day after CityNews confirmed the Ford government will introduce legislation to eliminate speed cameras in Ontario. Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly criticized the devices as a “cash grab,” arguing they unfairly take “hundreds of millions out of taxpayers’ pockets.”
On Thursday, Ford confirmed that the province will proceed with banning speed cameras provincewide. The premier said the province will introduce requirements for municipalities with existing speed cameras in school zones to install large new signs to slow down drivers by mid-November 2025.
Chow’s pushback against provincial plan
An hour after the premier gave his remarks, Chow held a press conference of her own, doubling down on the usefulness of speed cameras.
“Instead of using money from speeders breaking the law, the province wants you, the law-abiding citizens, your tax dollars to pay for road safety; I do not believe that is fair,” said Chow. “If you follow the rules of the road now, you are going to pay, instead of people [who] are breaking the law.”
Advocates and police chiefs have repeatedly defended the cameras, citing research showing they reduce speeding and save lives. A SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University study found ASE reduced speeding in Toronto by 45 per cent, while a 2025 CAA survey showed nearly three-quarters of Ontario drivers support their use.
While defending the program, in her letter, Chow recognized concerns about fairness. She recommended that drivers not be fined more than once by the same camera within a seven-day period, giving them time to receive their first ticket and adjust their behaviour. She also called for larger and more visible signage near cameras to ensure drivers are aware of enforcement zones.
“While I acknowledge that ASE is not universally supported, it is regularly requested by communities and endorsed by a wide range of road safety experts, including the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. Based on what I hear from Torontonians, the most common criticisms of ASE are from those who have received tickets through this program and those who feel ASE is a ‘cash grab.’ To those critics, I suggest following the speed limit to avoid ever paying a fine,” Chow wrote in the letter.
Chow’s recommendations
Chow further proposed that City Council direct staff to:
- Provide the province and local MPPs with maps of ASE locations and nearby schools, playgrounds, and seniors’ facilities.
- Notify local representatives whenever a road death or serious injury occurs involving speeding.
- Send letters to households near ASE cameras outlining the potential loss of the program and its impact on community safety.
She also requested that the Ontario government provide data-backed reasoning for removing ASE, beyond public comments, to justify how eliminating cameras would improve road safety.
“I also point out that Toronto’s annual Vision Zero budget — initiatives dedicated to road safety — is twice as high as the revenue generated by ASE tickets. Additionally, millions of dollars of ASE revenue are dedicated to supporting Victim Services. We prefer to not collect a single fine, but instead that drivers follow the rules of the road,” said Chow.
City Council is expected to debate Chow’s recommendations in the coming weeks as the province prepares to table its legislation.
