60 new speed cameras will catch offenders at 100 locations in Mississauga

Mississauga will add 60 new speed cameras to its road safety arsenal over the next five years to bolster a program officials say is dramatically reducing fast and aggressive driving on city streets — particularly in school zones.

Citing the success to date of the Automated Speed Enforcement camera initiative introduced in summer 2021, city council on Wednesday agreed to renew the contract for 22 existing cameras and add 60 more in annual installments through 2028.

The ASE program, through which speeding drivers receive tickets in the mail after having their licence plates photographed by the on-street cameras, has been successful in reducing speeds on Mississauga roads since its inception, City of Mississauga officials have said.

Data collected from the ASE cameras has told city officials, for the most part, that “drivers are slowing down and following the speed limit.”

The current 22 cameras have rotated among 124 locations across the city, targeting school zones (community safety zones) where scores of children can be put at risk by speeding drivers. The speed limit is 30 km/h in those areas.

Under the ASE plan moving forward, Mississauga will add five new semi-fixed speed cameras this year followed by 10 next year and 15 in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028. They’ll be deployed at 100 locations across the city by the time they’re all acquired.

Mississauga officials said this week the cameras “have led to a significant drop in speeding and increased compliance” since implementation in July 2021.

City officials said the ASE camera program has slowed down many lead-footed drivers.

Since launch of the program, the average decrease in operating speeds is 9 km/h and average speed limit compliance has increased by 30 per cent, data shows.

“Our speed cameras are working. Drivers are changing their behaviour and slowing down,” said Mayor Carolyn Parrish. “Slowing down not only reduces your risk of collision, it also lowers the severity of injuries for vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists and transit users. If you’re driving in Mississauga, whether there is a speed camera or not, I urge you to slow down and follow the posted speed limits.”

The new semi-fixed ASE cameras are mounted on poles with permanent concrete bases. They’ll be placed in busy school zones and other major roadways where fatal collisions and crashes causing serious injuries occur, the city said.

Geoff Wright, Mississauga’s new city manager and CAO, said the cameras are about keeping people safe, especially children.

“Our speed cameras can detect speeding on a consistent basis, ensuring that schoolchildren and other road users always feel safe,” he added. “That’s why we are expanding our program. With an additional 60 speed cameras, our roads will continue to be safe for all road users, regardless of if you’re walking, cycling, using an e-scooter or e-bike, taking transit or driving.”

Since July 2021, about 82,000 tickets have been issued via the ASE cameras, according to the city.

The most tickets were issued on Truscott Drive, west of Lorne Park Road, in southwest Mississauga while the highest ticketed speed was 114 km/h on Mississauga Valley Boulevard, west of Central Parkway East.

In nine other cases, cars were ticketed for travelling at 78 km/h, almost 50 km/h over the posted speed limit.