Item - 2015.PW3.17

The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council request the Province of Ontario to designate and authorize Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of the Attorney General and other required provincial staff to participate in a task force led by the City of Toronto Transportation Services, in cooperation with Toronto Police Service Court Services and Legal staff to further investigate the technical, evidentiary, regulatory and prosecutorial and financial requirements related to expanding automated enforcement for the purpose of reducing speed, stop sign and turn violations, where staff may have indicated that they met warrant, within the City of Toronto.

2.  City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services and the City Solicitor, in consultation with the Toronto Police Service to report to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee as a component of the Road Safety Plan for Toronto in the fourth quarter of 2015 on the task force results and recommendations related to an automated enforcement pilot project within the City of Toronto.

Over each of the past five years, there have been approximately 55,000 traffic collisions in the City of Toronto, of which, approximately 11,000 collisions result in personal injury and traffic fatalities have ranged from 35 to 63, per year.

Increased traffic enforcement is one method available to increase safety for our pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Studies on the effectiveness of traditional police enforcement have indicated that a 300 to 500 percent increase over the current level of traffic enforcement is required before substantial traffic safety gains can be maintained. Given the demands on the Toronto Police Services resources, it is clear that any increase in traffic enforcement must be conducted using the most efficient and effective methods possible.

During the last two decades there have been expansions, within North America, to automated enforcement, which now include stop sign, turn restriction enforcement and school bus passing, in addition to the more common speed and red light enforcement. While automated enforcement has been used in other Canadian jurisdictions and throughout the world, it should not be assumed that expanded use of automated enforcement, to stop signs, turn restrictions and speed, in the Province of Ontario, only requires an alteration of our Highway Traffic Act.

In order for Toronto City Council to consider the most efficient and effective options available to increase the level of traffic enforcement, more information is required. An investigation should consider Ontario's regulatory and evidentiary requirements, the ability of available technology to produce the required evidentiary components as well as the impact that additional traffic enforcement would have on the court system.

The recommendation below asks for an investigation of the requirements to expand automated enforcement to speed, stop sign, turn restriction and school bus passing offences within the City of Toronto. Staff within the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of the Attorney General should be requested to participate in a committee along with Transportation Services, Legal and Court Services staff to explore the regulatory and evidentiary requirements, available technologies and the impact on the court system, should the Government of Ontario authorize an automated enforcement expansion pilot within the City of Toronto.