Ontario is shifting gears on road safety funding, and this time it’s doing it without automated speed cameras. The Ford government announced a $210-million investment to support traffic-calming measures in school and community safety zones, replacing the now-banned municipal speed camera programs that critics say turned into revenue machines rather than safety tools.The provincial government says the money will go toward infrastructure such as speed bumps, raised crosswalks, roundabouts, high-visibility signage, and boosted police enforcement. .The first $42 million will be distributed immediately to areas where cameras are being shut off, with additional funding available through applications to the Road Safety Initiatives Fund starting next year.A new poll from Abacus Data suggests the move reflects public sentiment: half of Ontarians say they prefer physical traffic-calming designs and officer enforcement over automated ticketing systems. Only a third supported automated cameras, and the rest weren’t sure.Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria framed the shift as a correction to what many residents saw as an unfair system. He said the province is “standing up for drivers” and ending what he called “cash-grab speed cameras,” while still investing in safety measures intended to protect children and communities..The ban comes after years of rapid expansion of automated enforcement. Since 2019, municipalities installed more than 700 cameras. Some became highly lucrative. In Toronto, one device issued more than 65,000 tickets and generated nearly $7 million before 2025, numbers that fueled public backlash and claims the cameras served budgets more than safety.With the ban now in effect and the “Building a More Competitive Economy Act” receiving Royal Assent on November 3, municipalities will have to remove their cameras and replace them with traffic-calming solutions if they want continued support. .The province says the goal is safer roads without nickel-and-diming drivers who make a minor mistake.Whether the new approach delivers the same level of compliance as automated enforcement remains to be seen. But for now, Ontario has made a political and policy statement: slow drivers down with design—not tickets.
