Cambridge might soon get more speed cameras, speed cushions, and new signs as part of efforts to make the streets safer.
The city staff will suggest adding 10 new speed camera spots during a council meeting on Tuesday evening. All these spots are in school zones or community safety zones around town.
The proposed locations include:
Concession Road (Coronation Public School) Elgin Street (St. Anne Catholic School) Rose Street (Preston Public High School) Saginaw Parkway (Saginaw Parkway Public School and St. Teresa Catholic
School) Scott Road (Silver Heights Public School) Stewart Avenue (Stewart Avenue Public School) Sunset Boulevard (Blair Road Public School) Langs Drive (William G. Davis Public School) West River Road (Tait Street Public School) Winston Boulevard (Hespeler Public School)
If the council approves these spots, city workers will coordinate with the Region of Waterloo and the companies that supply the cameras to make sure they can be set up at each place.
The Region of Waterloo will cover the cost for these cameras, and any extra money from tickets will go toward other road safety projects in the region.
There are already four other cameras approved for Myers Road, Holiday Inn Drive, Saginaw Parkway, and Avenue Road, which should be installed by “early 2025,” according to a City of Cambridge report.
Currently, two active speed cameras in Cambridge rotate among 16 community safety zones; you’ll find them on Guelph Avenue and Elgin
Street North right now.
Speeding fines range from $100 if you’re caught going 15 km/h over the limit up to $450 if you’re going 30 km/h over.
Also on Tuesday’s council agenda is a report about the Speed Management Action Plan that suggests several ways to calm traffic down further.
The city is thinking about adding radar message boards, “Tommy and Friends” signs, and speed cushions in places where people have complained or where problems were spotted.
The report notes that running the Speed Management Program takes a lot out of staff because many complaints don’t actually lead to useful data or action.
Staff mentioned that since technology has improved for collecting data, there might be a chance to move toward a program that’s more proactive instead of just reacting after problems show up.
