In their first month and a bit of operation, Greater Sudbury’s six automated speed-enforcement cameras resulted in the issuance of 1,029 speeding tickets.
The average fines for each location ranged from $95.70 to $164.16, while the average ticketed speed ranged from 14 km/h over the posted speed limit to 20 km/h.
The maximum ticketed speed on record was 104 km/h on MR 15, which resulted in a $658 ticket being mailed to the owner of the vehicle.
- Algonquin Road (30 km/h): Average ticketed speed was 48 km/h and the average fine was $140.42
- Falconbridge Road (60 km/h): Average ticketed speed was 80 km/h and the average fine was $164.16
- Bellevue Avenue (50 km/h): Average ticketed speed was 64 km/h and the average fine was $95.70
- Gary Street (40 km/h): Average ticketed speed was 55 km/h and the average fine was $122.47
- Hillcrest Drive (40 km/h): Average ticketed speed was 54 km/h and the maximum fine was $98.16
- MR 15 Main Street in Val Caron (60 km/h): Average ticketed speed was 80 km/h and the average fine was $158.75
The city has declined to share what the threshold for tickets is, but the lowest fine example they provided on their website is $40 for 5 km/h over the posted speed limit. Members of the Sudbury Speed Cameras Facebook page (who oppose the cameras and celebrate their vandalization) have been trying to pinpoint the threshold but haven’t come to a consensus with evidence.
The speed cameras’ vendor did not provide the city with a breakdown of each camera’s findings, but city Linear Infrastructure Services director Joe Rocca said the cameras on Falconbridge Road, MR 15 (Main Street) in Val Caron and Algonquin Road were anecdotally the busiest.
The cameras’ are “about on pace with what we’d put in our budget,” he said, adding that they should be enough to not only cover their cost but also generate revenue.
That said, city staff have said from the start that they’re less concerned about revenue than they are driver safety.
“The cameras are performing as we were expecting, and we’re really happy with what we’re seeing so far,” Rocca said. “Even when the units get vandalized, generally they’re still on the road and having the effect we want.”
There have been two cases where vandals removed cameras from their sites, he added, but the vendor was quick to locate and replace them.
Vandalization has been an ongoing issue with the automated speed-enforcement cameras. Their repair and maintenance is covered by the city’s contract with the vendor, Redflex, which is for six years and part of a joint procurement headed by the City of Toronto and includes municipalities throughout the province.
When it comes time to renew the contract, whatever rate the City of Greater Sudbury receives will be the same as other Ontario municipalities, and Rocca noted they’re all reporting issues with vandalization.
Although a common criticism of automated speed-enforcement cameras is that they only affect speed in their immediate vicinity, Rocca said they’re seeing a broader “halo effect.”
In Val Caron, 500 metres past the speed camera, they’re seeing people travel at 70 km/h when they used to come in closer to 80 km/h.
“It’s still not in compliance with the speed limit (60 km/h), but it’s 10 km/h less than what we were seeing before the cameras were there,” Rocca said.
The city’s collection of six automated speed-enforcement cameras are mobile, and scheduled to shift to their second locations in mid-July. The city will release an updated timeline when it has been determined, Rocca said. The new locations will be:
- Garson Coniston Road (between Maki Street and Falconbridge Road)
- Howey Drive (between Somerset Street and Downing Street)
- Bancroft Drive (between Bellevue Avenue and Kingsway)
- Moonlight Avenue (between Claude Street and Gagne Street)
- Bancroft Drive (between Hazelton Drive and Estelle Street)
- MR 80 - McCrea Heights (between Robin Avenue and Hubert Street)
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
