For municipalities across Durham Region, one of the most frustrating policy battles of 2025 was the provincial government’s decision to eliminate automated speed enforcement cameras.
Speed cameras had been in use for more than five years in Durham, primarily in school zones and community safety areas. Multiple studies — including widely cited research from The Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto Metropolitan University — found the cameras were effective at reducing vehicle speeds and improving safety.
Municipal data from Whitby, Ajax, Oshawa, and other Ontario cities consistently showed lower speeds in areas monitored by cameras. Despite this, Premier Doug Ford publicly labeled the program a municipal “cash grab” and announced plans to ban the cameras, arguing they unfairly penalized drivers for minor infractions.
The announcement caught many local leaders off guard.
Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy said municipalities were not consulted before the decision was made, despite speed enforcement being a local responsibility.
“This is actually a municipal issue, and we weren’t being consulted,” Roy said.
Several Durham councils — including Whitby, Oshawa and Ajax — pushed back, citing both external research and local data. Roy was among 21 mayors across Ontario who signed an open letter urging the province to reconsider the ban.
Some councillors suggested that if ticket thresholds were the concern, the province could have raised the speed limit buffer instead of scrapping the program entirely. Roy also noted that while some municipalities had large numbers of cameras, others — such as Whitby — operated relatively few.
Durham municipalities also rejected claims that the cameras were revenue-driven. Officials from Whitby, Oshawa and Ajax said the programs were largely cost-neutral once operating and administrative expenses were considered.
Roy said many of the complaints she received came from drivers who had been ticketed, while parents — especially those with children attending schools near monitored roads — largely supported the cameras.
The provincial ban officially took effect on November 14, 2025, alongside an announcement of future funding for alternative road safety measures. However, municipalities say details of that funding remain unclear, and most communities are unlikely to see tangible results for at least two years.
In the short term, municipalities are left with limited options. Increased police enforcement would require more staffing and resources, and measures such as speed bumps are not suitable for major roads or emergency routes. Electronic warning signs can alert drivers but offer no enforcement mechanism.
Mayor Roy said the absence of speed cameras near schools is already concerning.
“There are a lot of students walking in these areas,” she said. “Every day I pass former camera locations, I worry about the ‘what if.’”
Photo Credits :Durham Region
