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Town considers automatic speeding fines

Traffic concerns were top of mind during the most recent Bracebridge General Committee meeting.

When all was said and done, councillors agreed to install three new stop signs in Town and there was also considerable debate about instituting radar speed enforcement in Town.

Council considered the move after receiving a letter from the Township of South West Oxford, wherein they petitioned the province to allow them to use photo radar (or automatic speed enforcement – ASE) more freely.

“Over the past decade, in South West Oxford the vast majority of charges laid are for drivers travelling well in excess of the posted speed limit. The cost of providing police time for something that could be done through the use of technology is disturbing to our council,” the letter read. “Council feels that it would be far more effective to have police concentrate on other problems such as Break and Enters, illegal drugs and domestic problems.”

Bracebridge councillors seemed to generally concur with their counterparts from South West Oxford. Coun. Mark Quemby said stop signs and yield signs are fine but the only thing that slows people down is enforcement. He said speed radar is effective and will lower the burden on the OPP.

Coun. Andrew Struthers was supportive of radar in school and safety zones but cautioned it should only be done in special cases.

Mayor Graydon Smith said to the best of his knowledge, the municipality already has permission to use radar if they choose. He said he’d like a little more information and other specifics before agreeing to anything. The matter went back to staff for further study.

Last summer the City of Toronto installed 50 automated speed enforcement cameras. Once a vehicle is detached by the ASE, an image is taken and stored in the database. Those images are then looked at by provincial offences officers, and then tickets will be issued and mailed to the owner of the vehicle, regardless of who was driving, within 30 days.

In the meantime, the stop signs will be installed on Ida Street at the James Street intersection; on Robert Street at the James Street intersection; and on Front Street at the Woodward Street intersection.

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One Comment

  1. People blow through the stop at Hiram and Ann all the time
    What is the rationale behind the ones at Robert and Ida? These are hardly high traffic zones
    I’m a lot more concerned about not being able to turn onto Manitoba with the increased traffic due to the road closure at Wellington St