Almost 8,000 tickets issued by city’s 50 photo-radar cameras in first two weeks

Almost 8,000 speeding tickets have been issued since the city launched its Automated Speed Enforcement program earlier this month.

Data released by city officials on Friday show 7,645 tickets were issued between July 6 and July 20 by the 50 cameras installed near schools.

There were a total of 591 repeat offenders in the first two weeks of tickets being issued with the most frequent repeat offender receiving a total of eight speeding tickets at Trehorne Drive near Duffield Road.

The highest speed detected by the cameras was 80 km/h in a 40 km/h zone on Renforth Drive near Lafferty Street. That camera also issued the most tickets, 890, and is responsible for the highest fine to date of $718.

While drivers are fined under the Provincial Offences Act, no demerit points are applied to any ticket issued.

The city says it was also made aware that two cameras had issued almost 300 tickets erroneously in the first full week of the program. The ASE cameras on Derrydown Road and Elkhorn Drive were not properly programmed for the correct speed or direction of travel by the vendor. The city says those tickets have been cancelled and anyone who paid the fine will be receiving a refund.

During the trial period in February and March, more than 25,000 warning letters were sent to drivers who had been caught speeding by the cameras, which are part of the city’s Vision Zero program to reduce traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on Toronto roadways. Two Automatic Speed Enforcement cameras have been set up in each ward across the city.