In October, I posted a brief survey on traffic calming to gain constituent feedback on their preferences between the use of automated speed enforcement cameras and speed cushions as devices intended to slow drivers down on residential streets. Below is the preamble to the questionnaire, followed by the results:
Automated Speed Enforcement has been in the news a lot lately. Premier Ford has promised to enact legislation to remove ASE in favour of other traffic calming measures, naming speed humps specifically which he alleges are more effective. Mississauga Council has written to the Premier with facts about the efficacy of the ASE program in our city and asking that the program be revised rather than completely repealed. In Mississauga, we use only 22 cameras deployed only in school zones. We have incorporated time of day enforcement. All revenue is used to fund the program and any surplus would go directly to other road safety initiatives. The average fine here is for vehicles travelling 16 km/hr over the posted speed limit. That said, I want to hear from you about ASE cameras and other traffic calming options.
1. Do you support the use of ASE as a way to slow down vehicles on residential streets? YES – 50.2%
2. Do you support the use of speed cushions as a way to slow down vehicles on residential streets? YES – 77%
3. Between ASE and speed cushions (plus “both” or “neither”), which do you prefer as a traffic calming measure?
SPEED CUSHIONS – 47.9%
CAMERAS – 17.5%
4. Based on your own driving experiences, which of the two is more effective in slowing vehicles down?
SPEED CUSHIONS – 63.6%
CAMERAS – 30.9%
Speed cushions came out as the preferred device to use in traffic calming, though there is significant support for the use of cameras as well.
The survey had 217 responses to all four questions in the first section, with 134 respondents adding “general comments” about traffic calming, all of which have been reviewed. Thanks very much to all those who participated!
