Latest news with #citycouncil
CTV News
18 minutes 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.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Liquor service hours extending in Vancouver
Vancouver Watch Vancouver city council is expanding operating hours for bars, clubs and some restaurants, allowing some to stay open until 4 a.m.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Six months of Itchen Bridge works to begin in August
Six months of maintenance work on Southampton's Itchen Bridge has been announced. The city council said the work - starting on Monday 11 August - would "enhance the lifespan of the bridge for many years to come" and was scheduled to finish in February bridge will remain fully open during peak times, but temporary traffic lights will be in place between 09:30 and 15:30 each day. Overnight closures for vehicles will run from 20:00 to 06: maintenance will include drainage upgrades, joint repairs, waterproofing, resurfacing of the road and pavement and new road markings. A temporary 20mph speed limit will also be in force throughout the works. The project replaces a previously planned eight-week closure in July 2024, which was scrapped in May last year. In January, councillors confirmed they were exploring ways to carry out the work without a full closure of the bridge. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
City council to discuss bus priority lanes, tariffs response, winter maintenance
Video Bathurst and Dufferin priority bus lanes, the city's tariff response and the winter maintenance plan are all on the agenda as city council meets today. CP24's Beatrice Vaisman reports.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Canterbury's shrubs removed after urine and beer poured on them
Decorative shrubs have been removed from a city centre after they were found to be damaged by urine and other liquids being constantly poured over plants, in St George's Street, Canterbury, Kent, had suffered from "urine, alcohol, fizzy drinks and hot drinks", according to the city planters containing the shrubs had also been filled with cigarette ends and general litter, so they will now be filled a statement the council said: "It's not how we wanted it to be, but having tried to make the planters work, it's time to do something different." The authority is working on a plan to extend the benches to cover the spots where the planters said this work could take some time. The damage was discovered during a general clear up of St George's Street, which runs through the heart of Canterbury.A scrub deck machine was used to clean the pedestrianised area, while a second device was used to remove discarded chewing gum.
