At the most recent Council Meeting, Newmarket Council continued to progress towards their goal of making Newmarket streets even safer by approving 14 locations that will be part of the Town’s Automated Speed Enforcement Program (ASE). Once approved by the Ministry of Transportation, the program is expected to launch in 2024. The speed cameras will be used alongside other traffic control measures that focus on education, enforcement and engineering along with the Town’s safety mascot
“Speeding in residential neighbourhoods is a problem in Newmarket, York Region, and all over the GTA. Our goal with the automated speed enforcement cameras is to change behaviour and remind and educate the community on the importance of not speeding,” says Newmarket Mayor John Taylor. “This program is proven to reduce speeding on our roads and make our streets even safer. Newmarket has zero tolerance for speeding in school zones where young children are making their way to school. Let me be as straight forward as I can; if you get a ticket for speeding in a school zone – you deserve it. Please drive within the posted speed limit and you won’t get ticketed.”
In Ontario, all speed cameras must be placed in community safety zones. In Newmarket, all speed cameras will be placed near schools to further protect vulnerable residents and children who are traveling to and from the area. A community safety zone is designated by Council through a by-law and is an area that has an increased risk to pedestrians. Traffic-related offences committed within the zone are subject to increased fines.
Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras will be placed in the following 14 locations (two in each ward) in early 2024.
Ward 1: Stonehaven Avenue and Kingsmere Avenue
Ward 2: Gorham Street and Srigley Street East
Ward 3: Wayne Drive and Patterson Street
Ward 4: Longford Drive and Bristol Road East
Ward 5: Queen Street and William Roe Boulevard
Ward 6: Savage Road and Clearmeadow Boulevard
Ward 7: Woodspring East and Woodspring West
Signage will be posted 90 days prior to the cameras being activated to indicate to drivers that Municipal Speed Cameras will be “coming soon” to the area. Once the cameras are activated, signage in the area will be updated to inform drivers that cameras are now in use.
Why is Newmarket implementing automated speed enforcement in Town?
Higher speeds lead to higher injury severity in a collision. Fatal collision statistics show that more than 30 per cent of all fatal collisions were related to speeding –according to York Region’s 2021 Travellers Safety Report.
Automated speed enforcement is a cost-effective and efficient tool that supplements the work York Regional Police are already doing. Together, speed cameras and York Regional Police are here to address speeding in Newmarket.
How do the Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) Cameras work?
The speed cameras installed in community safety zones will be activated if a vehicle is travelling over the posted speed limit. The camera will capture a still image of the licence plate and a record of the detected speed of the vehicle. The image and the speed information will be stored securely and reviewed by a Municipal Enforcement Officer.
Ticket and Fines
Once the image of the licence plate and speed recorded is reviewed and verified by a Municipal Enforcement Officer, a ticket will be mailed to the registered licence plate holder at the address on file with the Province. Tickets issued and the dispute process will be completed through the Town of Newmarket’s Administrative Monetary Penalty By-law (AMPS). The penalty is a monetary fine. Demerit points will not be issued, and driver's licences will not be suspended under the ASE program.
How will the funds be used?
The funds collected from the ASE program will be used to offset the cost to run the program to keep the community even safer. This can include, but is not limited to camera costs and lease, signage, public education and more. Additional funds collected may be used to implement even
The public is encouraged to follow the Town’s social media channels and the Town’s Automated Speed Enforcement Program webpage for updates.
Background
Since the enactment of the Safer School Zones Act, 2017, the Ontario Traffic Council has been working with interested municipalities alongside the MTO through anASE Working Group on the implementation of automated speed enforcement inOntario. Bill 65 permits the use of Automated Speed Enforcement in School Zones and Community Safety Zones where the speed limit is less than 80 km/hour.
Automated speed enforcement, commonly referred to as ASE, is the use of a device that consists of a camera, a speed measurement device and technology that operate in combination to result in images of motor vehicles being taken, and data recorded, when a motor vehicle travels on a roadway past the device at a rate of speed greater than the posted speed limit. The operation of the device does not require that a human be present or on site.
