Latest news with #city council
CTV News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
‘Notify the people faster': Council to consider capping speed camera tickets before first notice arrives
Toronto city council is considering a new rule that would prevent drivers from racking up multiple speed camera tickets at a single location before receiving their first warning in the mail. The proposal comes amid concerns from Coun. Anthony Perruzza that the cameras are more of a 'speed trap' than a safety tool. If approved, it would cap how many infractions a vehicle owner can receive from a single location before being formally notified. In a feasibility report released last week, city staff say the change could cost $32,000 to implement and would likely reduce revenue by an estimated $520,000 each time mobile cameras are relocated — though they stress the program was never meant to generate money. 'A faster notification period,' Chow says The feasibility report also says that approximately 5,800 of the 94,243 tickets issued in the first month of ASE enforcement at 150 locations went to repeat offenders. If council approves the change, the cameras would have to be reprogrammed to limit multiple fines against a single plate before a notice is delivered. Speaking to reporters ahead of today's meeting, Mayor Olivia Chow says she supports speeding up the notification process in addition to her previous motion to install larger signage. 'What I want to see is a faster notification period,' she told reporters. 'If we could actually notify the people faster, then they would say… that's fair, right?' It should be noted that Chow's separate motion to install more visible signs was approved last month by council. It came following a proposal by Perruzza to pause all ticketing while city staff reviewed the program. That motion was defeated by council. City vehicles racking up tickets of their own While the debate over fairness continues, it's not just Toronto-area residents getting flagged by speed cameras. In a statement to CTV News Toronto last week, the City of Toronto acknowledged that its own fleet of vehicles have racked up 190 ASE tickets so far this year, amounting to more than $18,000 in fines. The city clarified that drivers — not taxpayers — are responsible for paying those tickets, and that the fines are not automatically waived. Technology 'doing what it's meant to do' Despite the criticism, multiple studies suggest ASE cameras are effective in changing driver behaviour. A 2020-2022 study by researchers at SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University found a 45 per cent drop in drivers exceeding the speed limit near ASE locations. More recently in an email to CTV, the CAA also noted a positive trend in driver habits revealing that 73 per cent of Ontario drivers say they slow down when approaching a speed camera. 'When drivers choose to slow down or change their routes because of photo radar, it means the technology is doing what it's meant to,' said Michael Stewart of CAA South Central Ontario. Speed camera at O'Connor Drive earns highest tickets this year Some camera locations have become notorious for ticket volumes. City data shows the most ticket-heavy camera in 2025 is on O'Connor Drive west of Lankin Blvd., where nearly 19,000 tickets have been issued so far. Council is expected to debate the proposed cap and other possible adjustments to the ASE program over the next two days.
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
New shelter village site a 'bit of a service desert': councillor
The city has a lot of work to do if it's going to build its long-in-the-works temporary shelter village at the newly-approved site in the Intercity area, one councillor said. City council on Monday chose what's known as the Hillyard site, which is located at the end of Alloy Place, next to the Hillyard Lands off-leash dog park. The approval came via a resolution moved by Coun. Mark Bentz. The approval came after councillors voted against ratifying their earlier approval of 114 Miles St. E as the site for the village. The Miles Street location was recommended by city administration. The Hillyard site is "certainly not recommended and not yet supported by partners," said Coun. Brian Hamilton, who represents the McKellar Ward. The ward includes the Hillyard site (and also the Miles Street site). "We still have some work to do reaching out to agencies to see how support would work, and and ultimately what that operational model will look like," he said. The Hillyard site is forested, with access at the end of Alloy Place. It's surrounded by various commercial and industrial businesses. "It's a bit of a service desert as far as services that the individuals we are looking to serve will be able to access," Hamilton said. "Transportation will ultimately pretty much be required for just about anything." Hamilton added that there isn't infrastructure in place for pedestrians. "So lots of work to do. I don't even know what the situation is like for lights in the evening." The Miles Street site was being recommended by administration for several reasons, including its readiness for construction and its proximity to various services the village occupants access. The village, if it's built, would include sleeping cabins for people experiencing homelessness, as well as support services to help them transition to permanent housing. "I think the value add was in the south core, where not only would we be able to provide the service, but we would we would certainly be able to clean up some of the tent realities down there, and help clean up some of the social issues, and certainly use the the facility as a as a transformative, transformational piece in addressing some of the social conditions on at the street level," Hamilton said. City administration representatives were not available for interviews on Tuesday. However, Cynthia Olsen, the city's director of strategy and engagement, sent a statement to CBC News. "Council has approved the Hillyard Site, a treed lot at 879 Alloy Place, as the location for the Temporary Shelter Village. This marks an important step forward in addressing unsheltered homelessness in our community and supports the continued implementation of the City's 10-part enhanced encampment response plan," the statement read.
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Plans for 600 homes at Sunderland's Sheepfolds submitted
A city council has officially submitted plans for up to 600 new homes at a former industrial proposals, for the land at the Sheepfolds Industrial Estate in Sunderland, include a mix of apartments and townhouses with private gardens, as well as commercial and community buildings have been demolished to make way for the development and the application is seeking to pull down nine more. There have been plans for housing in the area for some time, with the council recently appointing Vistry Group as its preferred developer. Planning documents said it was not possible to provide details about affordable housing at the site at this stage. A financial viability review supporting the affordable housing document said the scheme had "significant viability challenges and will require additional grant funding in order to be delivered", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. The council's affordable housing statement said: "The applicant confirms their understanding of the importance of affordable housing provision and this will be thoroughly considered once ownership details and plot-specific development proposals are confirmed and become available." 'Supress car ownership' A design and access statement said a "key strategy" for the development was to "suppress car ownership for residents".It said this would be achieved by "providing levels of car parking below council standards" and designing the scheme to "keep vehicles out of sight".Planning documents confirmed a maximum of 400 parking spaces would be provided, 20% of which would be for electric vehicle (EV) parking.A decision on the plans is expected by 4 November after a consultation period. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Attercliffe masterplan includes thousands of homes and new jobs
Thousands of new jobs and homes are set to be created in one of Sheffield's oldest city council has announced proposals for up to 3,000 new homes and 1,500 new jobs as part of its Attercliffe agency Homes England, which is working with the authority, said it would transform large parts of the area into a "vibrant, eco-conscious community" over the next 10 to 15 Canning, head of area at Homes England, said: ''Attercliffe is now at the forefront of Sheffield's new wave of urban transformation. "This revival blends Sheffield's industrial roots with a bold, green future."Like Kelham Island, Attercliffe is set to become one of Sheffield's coolest, most forward-thinking neighbourhoods."Attercliffe dates back to the 12th Century and its name derives from "at the cliff" referring to the cliff down to the river bank to the north of the High 1297, it was one of the largest villages in the area. The growth of the steel industry meant the neighbourhood became a vast urban area with virtually no green space or trees, other than the council said a key task would be encouraging people to live there and said the east end of Sheffield had suffered long-term decline for over 40 authority believes it's an ideal location for development due to its proximity to the city centre and the runs through the area, which is also by the waterside and close to the Meadowhall shopping masterplan aims to make it the centrepiece rather than "a space between other developments", according to the and residents are invited to take part in an online consultation until 25 August. There is also a public drop-in event on Tuesday 22 July from 16:00 BST to 20:00 BST at The Steel City Stadium in Attercliffe. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
History from News Journal July 13-19: ice rink debate, lottery problems, hero rescues two
"Pages of history" features excerpts from The News Journal archives including The Morning News and The Evening Journal. See the archives at July 13, 2000, The News Journal Four of five Wilmington City Council members at a stormy committee meeting Wednesday opposed Mayor James H. Sills Jr.'s proposed portable ice-skating rink in Rodney Square. The 13-member council is scheduled to vote next week on spending $1.3 million for the rink. Seven votes are needed to approve the expense. Council President James M. Baker said he prefers a permanent rink at a yet-to-be-built park near the Amtrak station on the Christina riverfront. That prompted Greg Williams, director of the city's parks and recreation department, to say the project has become politicized at the expense of Wilmington's children. He favors the Rodney Square site. Baker, who is running against Sills in the Sept. 9 Democratic mayoral primary, said the Sills administration has advocated the concept of a rink somewhere in the city for three years. The council's requests to explore several locations were not successful, Baker said. 'This is not a political football,' Baker told Williams in a raised voice. 'You guys failed us; we didn't fail you.' Councilman Gerald Brady, who presided over the park and recreation committee meeting, declared the meeting out of order. 'Bring it back to order then,' Baker said. He then left and did not return. Brady and Councilmen Paul Bartkowski and Kevin Kelley said the money should not be spent on the rink because there are more pressing concerns in the city, such as aging infrastructure and neighborhood projects. 'I've got sewers and sidewalks that need to be fixed,' Brady said. Councilwoman Stephanie Bolden said the mayoral race has impeded progress on the rink, which she thinks should be in Rodney Square…. If council approves the project, the rink would open this year or in 2001. The 157-by-75-foot rink would cost $275,000 a year to operate. Two corporations have pledged to pay operating costs for the first five years. City officials would not identify the corporations, saying they want to remain anonymous until the city decides whether to pay for the rink. Recent Wilmington-area news: Approved SEPTA budget would kill Delaware rail service in 2026 without more funding July 16, 1975, The Morning News The Delaware Lottery may not be well, but it is alive. Gov. Sherman W. Tribbitt has yet to appoint a new lottery director, and until he does the game can't start again. In the meantime, a loaned staffer and a volunteer have been kept busy for the past month paying the debts and settling the accounts of the defunct Loto-Superfecta, which ended in April after five money-losing weeks. Tribbitt said he has five or six candidates in mind for the lottery director's job, but has not been able to settle on one. He said one person, who was not named, accepted the post but refused it later for health reasons. ... Because bills need to be paid and accounts reconciled, Tribbitt asked the state planning office to temporarily assign Lou Jordan, a planning administrator, to the lottery. ... Jordan said since he started on June 16 he has paid about $90,000 to cover the rent through June, equipment rentals, payments, advertising and tickets. ... Jordan said he has sent out checks for five $100 tickets since June and another $70 to $80 for smaller prizes…. It is generally assumed that Delaware's second venture into public gaming will more closely follow the typical state lotteries rather than something new again. The Loto-Superfecta let people choose their own numbers and used a horse race to determine the winning number. However, there were no first place winners, and the public steadily lost interest. The General Assembly has put aside $130,000 for the revised lottery, bringing the total state investment to date to more than $600,000. ... The state auditor has charged that lottery officials illegally spent $186,000 more than they had in their $400,000 budget. ... Recent lottery news: Wilmington man hits Delaware Lottery twice in a week. Here's where he bought his tickets July 18, 1925, Wilmington Morning News A double rescue was made in Rehoboth yesterday afternoon when C.C. Thompson, of Seaford, fought a strong undercurrent to drag Miss Marcella Fairchild, 19, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and William Bounds, 12, of Salisbury, Md., from the water. Thompson, an all-round athlete who rescued a woman from drowning last summer, was walking along the beach with a lifeguard when they were attracted by the screams of a woman a short distance from the shore who had been caught in a heavy undertow. Both men jumped into the water and were also caught in the undertow, but Thompson managed to reach the young woman before she had been carried out very far. Keeping the girl's head above water, he waited until the lifeguard joined them, and the two of them managed to get her ashore. Just as they reached the shore, another cry from the water attracted Thompson's attention. Turning, he discovered a small boy who had gotten out in water beyond his depth and had also been caught in the undertow. Leaving the young woman in the care of the lifeguard and the large crowd that had congregated, Thompson swam out to the boy and caught him just as the boy was going down for the third time. After he succeeded in getting the boy ashore, it was discovered he was unconscious, and Thompson, although weakened from his double fight with the undertow, assisted in reviving him by using a stomach pump. Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: History from News Journal: ice rink debate, lottery problems, rescue
