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It’s been nearly two weeks since Sudbury’s photo radar system began operating and multiple units have already been damaged.
The city says it has received reports on eight incidents to date. However, the rate of vandalism has thus far been close to the city’s expectations.
“Generally, the first couple weeks when these units are out there, there’s a lot of vandalism and then it typically starts to taper off after that,” said Joe Rocca, Greater Sudbury’s director of linear infrastructure services.
Automated speed enforcement cameras take photos of vehicles that are driving faster than a certain threshold speed. The city has not explicitly stated the speed at which tickets may apply.
The tickets do not come with demerit points, as they are sent to the vehicle owner, not the driver.
The cameras are owned and operated by Verra Mobility, a company based in the United States. Sudbury pays a flat rate per day to the company for having the cameras in operation.
The city installed six photo radar cameras in high-priority areas around the city, which began operating on March 22.
Vandalism across the city
Rocca said four of the six cameras have been vandalized to date. The cameras will change locations throughout the year, but are currently installed in Lively, Minnow Lake, New Sudbury, Garson, Val Caron and the south end.
Some of the incidents involved covering the lens with shaving cream, duct tape and a garbage bag, spray paint or eggs. Other incidents involved knocking the camera off its base or otherwise striking it.
The Greater Sudbury Police Service said it is investigating a mischief complaint, after a driver in Garson reported someone tying a rope around the camera and hooking it up to their ATV.
When police arrived five minutes later, the camera was off its base.
Police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn said any damage to the cameras should be reported to the city’s 3-1-1 portal, although if there is a crime in progress, that should be reported to police.
Community divided over cameras
The speed cameras have drawn strong opinions, both for and against.
Some have criticized the city for establishing community safety zones just before adding a speed camera to those locations.
These zones are designated by a municipal bylaw in areas deemed higher risk. The designation makes some traffic offence fines higher.
Under Ontario laws, automated speed enforcement systems can only be used in community safety zones or school zones.
While some residents have celebrated the damage to the speed cameras, others have expressed concern that taxpayers will ultimately bear the cost of the repairs.
Verra Mobility, the camera owner and operator, is responsible for repairing the cameras, with those repair costs built into the city’s contract.
“Any damage incurred to the cameras does not impact contract costs now or in the future,” said Verra spokesperson Valerie Schneider.
Rocca said it is possible that Sudbury could see higher contract costs in the future if vandalism remains higher here than in other communities. However, he said the city has already received its rates for the next five years, following a tentative contract renewal set for this summer.
Boosting road safety
Rocca said Sudbury will put all of its fines from the cameras into road safety initiatives, such as traffic calming measures.
He said people are likely to drive at the speed they feel most comfortable on a road, so roads with persistent speeding issues may benefit from calming measures like bollards.
And while opponents to the cameras have been quite vocal against them, Rocca said the community seems largely supportive of the cameras.
“We had one camera on Gary Ave. that was covered with a plastic bag, and before our vendor could even get there, the neighborhood residents themselves went out to uncover it and clean it up,” he said.
The city is planning to release figures soon on the number of incidents its cameras have been capturing. Rocca said that, in other cities, drivers have largely continued following a slower speed even after the cameras are moved to other locations.
Sudbury will move its cameras to their next six locations in July.
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