• Stouffville will not disclose the exact speed thresholds that trigger Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) camera tickets.
  • It is believed that revealing this information could encourage speeding.
  • Officials have suggested minor infractions of 1-3 km/h over the limit would not be penalized.
  • Research into other ASE programs found tickets are typically issued at no less than 8 km/h over, but Stouffville’s thresholds may be lower based on further analysis.
  • Town Staff emphasized that the primary goal is safety, not issuing fines, and that thresholds will be set with a balance of fairness and deterrence in mind.
  • ASE cameras could go live as early as the week of March 17.

 

Eight Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras have been installed, and many local motorists are wondering what speeding threshold will trigger a ticket.

“The Town will not be disclosing thresholds associated with Automated Speed Enforcement cameras,” Town spokesperson Glenn Jackson said in comments to Bullet Point News. “With that being said, the thresholds that will be set will be reasonable but prudent.”

“Our number one priority is the safety of our residents,” he added. “It’s not issuing tickets to vehicles that exceed the posted speed limit by 1 km/h.”

The topic was discussed during Council’s March 6, 2024, meeting when the ASE program was formally introduced. Becky Jamieson, Stouffville’s Commissioner of Corporate Services & Town Clerk, explained that the exact threshold would not be publicly promoted. However, research into other ASE programs found tickets were issued at no less than 8 km/h over the posted limit.

“Further analysis over the last year has shown those thresholds may be lower than 8 km/h over, which could influence Stouffville’s own threshold setting,” Jackson said.

CAO Sunny Bains stated that the Town is responsible for setting its own thresholds on municipal roads and that Staff would work with York Regional Police to determine an appropriate baseline.

“It would be a very small set of Staff here at the Town that would be aware of what the Town’s speeding threshold is,” Jamieson said. “Or else you’re not going to be able to effectively do…what you’re trying to do with the cameras.”

In other words: disclosing the threshold could encourage speeding, which is exactly what the cameras are meant to deter.

Bains also noted that the ASE system can limit the number of tickets issued to repeat offenders within a given time frame. “There are mechanisms in place that we have control over,” he said. “There is an education component… Whether we allow for that or not is a different story.”

“The goal here is to reduce accidents and promote safe travel; it’s not about the fines,” he added. “[Fines are] a consequence of not following the rules, but at the same time, we’re not going to set the threshold at 41, 42 or 43 [in a 40 km/h zone].”

ASE cameras will be activated by the end of March, though Jackson said they could go live as early as the week of March 17. Residents should look for the removal of “Coming Soon” notices on posted “Municipal Speed Camera” signs, which will signal that the cameras are monitoring for speeding vehicles.

The Province dictates speed-based penalty amounts. If a ticket is issued, plate owners will be charged $5 per km/h over when travelling up to 19 km/h over the posted limit. That rate increases to $7.50 per km/h for speeds 20-29 km/h over the limit, $12 per km/h for 30-49 km/h over, and $19.50 per km/h for speeds 50 km/h or more over.

Tickets will also include an $8.50 Ministry of Transportation Ontario license plate search fee and a progressive Victim’s Justice Fund charge. For a vehicle travelling 25 km/h over the limit, the plate owner would face a $187.50 fine (25 km/h over multiplied by $7.50), plus the $8.50 fee and a $35 Victim’s Justice Fund charge, for a total ticket amount of $231.

More information on applicable fines is available on the Town’s website.

Three cameras will monitor Hoover Park Drive, including an eastbound camera near Sandiford and both eastbound and westbound cameras near Tenth Line. Eastbound and westbound cameras near John Davis Gate will cover Millard, and a northbound camera south of Boadway will monitor Baker Hill Boulevard.

Two cameras will track speeds along Main Street: an eastbound camera at Pine Street and a westbound camera east of Montreal. Each location sits within a Community Safety Zone.

“Statistics have shown that, after a period of time that a camera has been implemented, driver behaviour does change,” Jack Graziosi, the Town’s Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works, said. “Which may be a trigger for…redeployment of a camera to a different location across the municipality.”

Additional ASE cameras may be installed in late 2025.

“The ASE program is designed to be cost-neutral over time, with revenue generated from fines offsetting operational costs. However, our focus remains on safety rather than generating revenue,” Jackson said.

“The Town will continue monitoring program costs, effectiveness, and community impact, ensuring that ASE cameras are deployed where they offer the most benefit,” he added. “Updates will be provided through public Council reports, allowing residents to stay informed.”