OBCM Letter to Premier Ford calling for collaboration on ASE Program
The Honourable Doug Ford
Premier of Ontariopremier@ontario.ca
October 21, 2025
Dear Premier Ford,
Thank you for sharing your concerns and identifying problems with the implementation of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras. We have heard you and want to work with you to address these concerns.
We have heard you and want to work together with you to limit these identified issues in the program while keeping a scoped program that would allow speed cameras to remain in areas where other measures are not appropriate, or have already been tried and are insufficient.
Over the last several weeks you have heard from many of us individually or as part of a larger group of mayors, addressing the banning of the ASE program across Ontario. As Ontario’s largest municipalities we have a unique perspective when it comes to traffic calming measures in our busy communities, especially when it comes to the safety of children in our school zones. We believe that the ASE program is a necessary tool to keep our communities safe, ensuring the safety of vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, children and seniors.
At our October 17th meeting, OBCM had the opportunity to discuss the different aspects of the program that you have been clear need to change.
OBCM municipalities want to work with the province to modify the current ASE program to address the concerns that you and your government have raised while also maintaining ASE in locations that are needed to keep our most vulnerable residents safe. We believe that there is a win here for everyone without shifting the cost of paying for the program from law-breaker pays to taxpayer pays. We are committed to ensuring the program funds future road safety measures.
Evidence shows that speed cameras reduce unsafe driving and save lives. A total ban on ASE would reverse years of progress on safety in school zones. It would place more pressure on police, increase enforcement costs, and most critically, endanger lives.
We urge you to provide a carve out to allow municipalities to continue to deploy ASE in school zones, and work with municipalities to improve understanding, effectiveness, and community engagement around ASE in these areas.
To address the issues arising from the current program’s framework, we are proposing that the following changes and safeguards be considered for examination:
Setting cameras at a reasonable threshold of speed before a ticket is issued;
Time of day operations tied to school and community use times;
A warning ticket issued on first offense;
Set a fine that is not double, due to community safety zones;
Large signs alerting drivers of the presence of ASEs; and
A blackout on additional fines for seven days after receiving the first ticket, to alert the driver and allow them to change their behaviour.
That fees collected from speeding fines be directed to additional road safety programs.
Should your government decide to move ahead with cancelling the ASE program it would create significant operational and financial challenges for many municipalities. There have been substantial financial commitments to implement ASE programs in response to provincial legislation, with cameras present or planned in 37 municipalities with ASE programs, and more than 60 communities with ASE on their streets.
Therefore we are requesting that should the provincial government choose to move ahead with banning ASE cameras, local municipalities be reimbursed for the costs associated with implementing the Automated Speed Enforcement program, as it was initially enabled through the provincial government in 2019 through regulation 398/19. Additionally we also ask that any additional signage requirements and traffic calming measures be implemented only once funding has been received, to minimize the impact on local taxpayers.
Premier, we all share the same goal, to keep our residents safe. While no program is perfect, and we understand many of your concerns, we believe that by allowing municipalities to utilize a new and improved version of the ASE program like we have outlined above, will truly help protect children and their families. We are ready to work with you and your government to ensure that our residents feel safe and secure on our roads for years to come.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Marianne Meed Ward, Chair of OBCM
Mayor of Burlington
CC: Honourable Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of TransportationHonourable Andrea Khajin, Minister of Red Tape ReductionHonourable Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and HousingRobin Jones, President, Association of Municipalities of OntarioKaren Redman, Chair, Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario