Renfrew County will be installing “automated speed enforcement” cameras in the near-ish future, but Laurentian Hills council wants more information before it joins in on the plan.
A draft recommendation at Laurentian Hills council suggested the town request one of the speed camera units in the school zone in front of St. Anthony’s School in Chalk River.
But Councillor Gary McAnulty said he was concerned that the move to automated speed enforcement was more about raising money than improving safety.
“It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth,” he said.
The city of Ottawa reported recently that automated speed cameras in that urban municipality raised $14.3 million in 2023.
The program was first launched in 2020 and the number of cameras has grown from eight to 40.
The top ticket generator, located on King Edward Ave, issued 28,742 tickets in three months alone earlier this spring.
Councillor John Hoyle agreed, saying that if it’s restricted to the school zone only, it would do nothing to improve the situation with speeders on Main Street or Railway St.
But Mayor Anne Giardini said she was in favour of trying it.
“I would hate for St Anthony’s to come back to us and say, you had an opportunity to (do something about speeding) and you turned it down,” she said…
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