Councillor pushes for speed reader signs at photo radar hot spots

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This article was published 31/03/2021 (1801 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A city councillor hopes more drivers would slow down if signs that display their speed were erected at photo radar hot spots.

Coun. Shawn Nason wants the city to add speed-reader boards at the 10 most ticketed mobile photo radar locations, which can be placed in school, playground or construction zones.

“I want to focus in on areas where children are playing and, (to ensure) this is truly about safety, (on) how we can make sure that we’re actively trying to reduce infractions in those zones,” said Nason.

The councillor said he’s concerned the city’s photo radar program is focused on raising money, when its key goal should be to reduce speeding and make roads safer.

“I’m looking at this as another tool in the toolbox to raise awareness on these challenging (spots) where we consistently are having photo enforcement… and behaviour year-over-year is not changing,” said Nason.

Money collected from tickets helps fund police services.

The Transcona councillor said he’d also like to see the fines for exceeding the speed limit by 10, 20 and 30 kilometres per hour posted at entrances to Winnipeg where maximum urban speed limits are already displayed. In a new motion, Nason asks for a public service report on both ideas, arguing that more must be done to make drivers aware of their speed.

The number of mobile photo radar tickets that have been issued is not broken down by location in Winnipeg Police Service reports, but certain spots have been found to trigger the vast majority of tickets.

In 2020, media reports highlighted data collected from 2013 to 2019 that showed the top locations. The most tickets spot was Grant Avenue at Thurso Street south, followed by Berry Street at St. Matthews Avenue, Talbot Avenue at Watt Street, Harrow Street at McMillan Avenue, Panet Road at Munroe Avenue, Logan Avenue at Blaine Street, Burrows Avenue at McGregor Street, Pembina Highway at Manahan Avenue, St. Matthews Avenue at Arlington Street and Plessis Road at Rosseau Avenue W.

A critic of photo enforcement says he believes speed-reader boards would drastically drive down the number of tickets in those areas.

“When you have a flashing number on a sign pointed back at you that says you’re going 44 (in a 30-kilometre-per-hour school zone), you literally don’t miss that,” said Todd Dube, founder of WiseUp Winnipeg. “All of a sudden, you are going to see about 95 per cent compliance to the low speed.”

Dube has long argued that many of the most ticketed sites lack proper signage to alert drivers to the speed limit.

The Winnipeg Police Service, which declined to comment on Tuesday. The police website states photo enforcement is part of a strategy “to make the city streets safe for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike.”

The site says the locations for mobile enforcement units are placed specifically to protect those most vulnerable to speeding, such as school children.

The East Kildonan-Transcona community committee will consider Nason’s motion on April 7.

Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga