New cameras at 50 intersections will cost more than $11M in Brampton

Plans to bring hundreds of traffic cameras to dozens of intersections in Brampton will cost some $11 million – more than 10 times the project’s initial budget.

Back in 2023, the city set aside $1,376,000 for IT work on a project bringing dozens of cutting edge cameras and license plate recognition cameras at 40 intersections across Brampton.

But now the city is looking to expanded the project to 50 intersections with hundreds of cameras, and the new proposed cost of the upgrades has ballooned to more than $11.6 million, according to a new report.

The new panoramic cameras will capture a complete 360-degree view of the intersection and immediate area, while the license plate recognition cameras will record and process the license plates and characteristics of vehicles including make, model, and color.

Installing some 250 cameras across the city will be done in three phases, with the city first replacing its current stock of ” Pan-Tilt-Zoom” cameras for the new 360-degree models.

Some of the targeted intersections include Bovaird Drive at Airport Road, Hurontario Street at Steeles Avenue, and Queen Street at Dixie Road. The traffic camera program was launched following an “increase in serious collisions at select intersections within the City of Brampton,” the report reads.

City council approved a budget amendment on Wednesday, bringing the project total to $11,624,000. The additional $10,248,000 in funding will come from the city’s asset replacement reserve fund.

The new cameras are in addition to council’s approval of 185 new automated speed enforcement cameras in Brampton to capture images of vehicles speeding in school and community safety zones.

The first ASE cameras are on track to be installed by the end of July with a full complement of 185 online by June 2025.

Speed enforcement ticketing is also being brought in-house with a new processing centre in Brampton, helping deter speeding, increase road safety, and create more revenue, the city says.