Ticketed and ticked off: Barrie speed cameras reduce speeders, but drivers aren't impressed
It's been over three months since the automated speed enforcement cameras in Barrie were installed, and so far, the city says they've seen a significant speed reduction.
"Driver speeds definitely when the cameras were in operation were definitely on average 12 or 13 kilometres an hour slower," says Michelle Banfield, City of Barrie development services executive director.
Cameras were initially set up in community safety zone locations at Big Bay Point Road and Anne Street.
On Big Bay Point Road, 58,258 violations were recorded on camera, and 4,563 tickets were issued.
On Anne Street, 35,674 violations were recorded on camera, and 4,677 tickets were issued.
The city has not disclosed the speed threshold for receiving a ticket.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
"We've always said that the actual threshold is never been something that we would publish in terms of, any more than a police officer would tell you how much they would stop someone for. So ultimately, the goal is to have people go as close to the speed limit as possible," says Banfield.
The speed cameras were moved to Essa Road and Ardagh Road at the end of February.
Not all drivers are happy with the program setup.
"There was absolutely no flashing lights to indicate to me that I was driving down Big Bay during school hours," says Stayner resident Sarah Bell.
Bell received a ticket in the mail for $205. The ticket says she travelled 62/km an hour at 3:44 p.m. The school zone hours end at 3:45 p.m.
"I was within that last one minute or maybe even, who knows, 20 seconds before the cameras would turn off," says Bell.
Bell says she plans to fight the ticket and feels the signage is confusing.
"When you're driving down the road, for it to state at the school hours in the way that it does on so many different lines, it's impossible to actually read," Bell shares.
The city's website states that the flashing lights used to warn of a 40-kilometre-an-hour zone must be covered when the cameras are active, so a sign is used to show the different limits at different times.
The speed cameras will stay at their current locations on Essa Road and Ardagh Road until the end of April when the council will decide where to move them next.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Haida elder suing Catholic Church and priest, hopes for 'healing and reconciliation'
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.