Trinela Cane, Commissioner of Corporate Services, joined by Arvin Prasad, Commissioner of Development Services, addressed the Committee to introduce this item as a joint effort between the two commissions to bring forward this report and introduced the staff presentation.
Eric Chan, Senior Manager, Transportation, Jeff Baker, AMPS Manager, and Shane Manson, Senior Manager, Revenue and Property Taxation, provided a presentation on Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) Program which included a background about the ASE program, the implementation of the program including a partnership with the Newmarket Joint Processing Centre (JPC), financial considerations, and the public communication and engagement strategy of the program.
The Committee thanked staff for their presentation and their work in advancing the Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) Program. The Committee made the following comments on the item:
- Proposed to increase the number of ASE cameras from 8 to 16 to better address critical speeding areas across the City and that the program be expanded to include both publicly and privately funded elementary and secondary schools.
- Proposed that the first 8 cameras be installed—one in each ward—and the remaining 8 be placed at the discretion of staff, based on an evaluation of Community Safety Zones where speed reduction is needed throughout the day or during school drop-off and pick-up times.
- Inquired whether there is a speed threshold that triggers a ticket.
- Requested clarification on how revenue will be used. Staff confirmed that, under provincial legislation, all ASE revenue must be allocated to road safety programs, though municipalities have flexibility in defining what constitutes such programs.
- Asked whether tickets issued by ASE cameras differ from those issued by police officers. Staff confirmed the financial penalties are the same, but ASE tickets include additional administrative fees.
- Requested clarification on fees such as the Victim Surcharge and Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) Plate Search Fee
- and details about the communication plan for future ASE locations. Also asked for data on the number of schools in Markham, site locations of ASE, setup and administrative costs, and impacts on staff workload.
- Expressed concern about the need for more time to consult with residents and questioned the timeline for bringing this item Council ratification.
- Raised concerns about whether speed reductions might negatively impact traffic flow especially on major arterial roads such as Yonge Street or Highway 7.
- Suggested expanding camera placement to include non-school zones—such as parks and areas with frequent complaints—based on data.
- Encouraged learning from the experiences of other jurisdictions already using ASE cameras and asked whether there would be flexibility in site selection and operational timing.
- Inquired about future Council involvement in the program’s expansion and requested that ASE locations be determined based on data and that Council be consulted with supporting information.
- Staff noted that there will be an annual report to Council on the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, which includes updates on the ASE implementation.