Opinion: Driver Entitlement Reigns Supreme in Toronto

Toronto is not, in spite of claims to the contrary, the centre of the universe — although the recent furor about what’s happening on the streets around here could be enough to convince those from outside the area otherwise.

Politicians and members of the public alike suddenly have a lot to say about speed limits and the way they’re enforced, not to mention the use of dedicated bike lanes, and the loudest voices haven’t exactly been complimentary of any of it. Yet the outrage about these subjects has simply shined a new light on how car-centric Toronto and other area municipalities remain in spite of the unrelenting traffic flooding the region’s roads.

Speed enforcement cameras in particular have drawn plenty of ire these days, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford putting his thumb on the scale of public opinion — this despite an overwhelming majority of the province’s residents supporting their use. Yet Ford, who was raised in suburban Toronto, has threatened to step in if municipalities don’t remove the cameras on their own.

In a textbook case of capitulation, councillors in Vaughan, Ont., voted to cancel the speed camera program in that city north of Toronto just months after it was introduced. Mayor Steven Del Duca, who was provincial transportation minister when Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act was amended in 2017 to allow for the municipal use of speed enforcement cameras, claimed it was an issue of “fairness” when the program was paused back in June.

Del Duca expanded upon that assertion more recently, suggesting that residents feel like “real criminals” are getting away with their nefarious acts while otherwise law-abiding citizens risk being penalized for speeding. Of course, it doesn’t take much to untangle this twisted logic, which is akin to saying theft prevention measures at local grocery stores should be suspended until bank robberies are brought to an end.

While Del Duca has stopped short of calling speed enforcement cameras some kind of cash grab, the province’s premier has continued to do so ad nauseam. Except his erroneous claims ignore a crucial fact: when it comes to road safety, cameras work. According to a website run by the Ontario Traffic Council, Quebec reported its cameras reduced speeds by 13.3 km/h and reduced collisions by 15 to 42 per cent in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario issued a letter urging Ford not to scrap speed cameras province-wide, citing a study from this summer that showed they reduced speeding in the city by as much as 45 per cent. And just because it bears repeating, all of Toronto’s traffic cameras combined generated nearly $40 million in fines last year, equivalent to less than a quarter of a percent of its operating budget. That’s hardly the “tax grab” Ford claims.

Similarly, the subject of bike lanes should by now be simmering on the back burner, but it’s erupted into an epic flambé of public persecution, with Ford himself stoking the fires under the guise of getting motor vehicle traffic flowing. Already this summer, his government’s attempt to force the removal of swathes of protected bike lanes in Toronto was struck down as unconstitutional, yet Ford’s ruling party plans to appeal.

No matter what comes next, whether for bike lanes or speed cameras, it’s important to remember that road safety is never an issue that should be politicized. Decision-making should be influenced by fact, not public pressure. There’s no hiding from the reliance on the automobile in Toronto and beyond, but there’s no reason it should be prioritized at the peril of other road users — even if experienced politicians are happy to suggest differently.