Hamilton activates photo radar enforcement along Upper Ottawa Street
Hamilton Mountain motorists should be extra cautious while travelling along Upper Ottawa Street.
Over the weekend of Aug. 27, the city activated the automated speed enforcement technology, or photo radar, along Upper Ottawa between Mohawk Road East and Fennell Avenue East.
I have been a strong advocate for the photo radar cameras," said Ward 6 Coun. Tom Jackson, who called the new technology fantastic" when it was first introduced.
Over the last few years Jackson has been spending thousands of dollars to improve the road safety of his Ward 6 streets, with speed humps, new digital signs along Upper Ottawa and reduced speed limits.
Meanwhile, signs were installed Aug. 29 between East 43rd and Upper Gage, across the street from the Metro and FreshCo plazas to indicate that an intersection pedestrian signal will be installed over the next two weeks. The cost of the project, said Jackson, has been funded through the traffic and capital budgets.
In 2021, Hamilton councillors approved making the one-year automated speed enforcement pilot program a permanent addition to the city's roadway safety program. The city began issuing tickets through the photo radar program in October 2020.
The other photo radar location to be activated as of late-August is Centre Road, from Parkside Drive to Concession 5 Road East in Flamborough.
During the one-year pilot, staff said despite occasional vandalism to the city's two camera boxes, the technology was effective at reducing the speed of drivers while it was rotated through 18 locations. Staff said that speed limit compliance increased by 29 per cent during the photo radar enforcement.
Overall, with the cost of the cameras and processing of fines, the city lost about $600,000 while operating the program over the one-year pilot program. It is being funded from Hamilton's red-light camera reserve fund.
The ground-mounted cameras have been moved through 24 locations in 2022 and installed at one trouble spot in each ward as well as nine school zones. The city has installed signs warning motorists that they are entering a zone where the photo radar is being used.
Tickets have been issued to the owner of the vehicle through the Provincial Offences Court system. Fines in community safety zones and school zones are doubled.
The photo radar equipment will be rotated in September to: Kitty Murray Lane from Stonehenge Drive to Garner Road East in Ancaster, and Dundurn Street South from Herkimer Street to Aberdeen Avenue. For October, the two locations that will be activated are: James Street South (from St. Joseph Drive to Fennell Avenue West), and Lake Avenue North (from Jackson Lane to Barton Street East).