Toronto's ticket disputes stem from changes to red light and speed cameras

Toronto City Council has adopted a new framework to streamline the appeals process for red light and speed camera tickets as it ramps up the use of technology.

Under the plan, ticket disputes would be moved from provincial courts to the city's administrative penalty system, similar to parking ticket disputes.

City officials say this streamlines the dispute resolution process for drivers, improves operational efficiency, frees up court time for other cases and allows the city to avoid a backlog of disputes.

“Administrative penalty systems have been successful at the provincial and municipal levels, including in the City of Toronto, for parking violations, are an effective method of law enforcement and dispute resolution, and promote trust and confidence in the justice sector,” staff said. in the report.

Helping clear the backlog of ticket disputes will allow the city to roll out more cameras to help meet its Vision Zero road safety goals, city officials said.

“It's about moving the system forward, but slowing down the cars,” Mayor Olivia Chow told reporters before a council meeting this week.

Chow said he often receives reports of pedestrians and bicyclists being hit by cars, and speed can often be a factor in those cases.

“I know that in some cases, if the car were to go slower, there would be less injury and maybe even a life saver,” Chow said. “By accelerating our efforts to enforce such enforcement to get more cameras on the road, we are telling this driver to 'obey the law.' “Be slow, otherwise there will be consequences.”

He said the plan would help protect the elderly and other vulnerable road users.

According to the plan, the number of automated speed cameras will double from 75 to 150 by 2026, with 74 new states opening up in the city to manage the system.

The new system is projected to bring $71.27 million in net revenue to the city by 2026, though staff say that's not an issue.

“Enforcement of regulatory offences, including offenses related to red light cameras and automated speed enforcement, is not intended as a means of generating revenue for municipalities,” staff said in their report. “The fines and penalties associated with these offenses are designed to deter behavior that poses a threat to public safety.”

This proposal was unanimously accepted by the council. The change will take effect from November 1 of this year.