TK4
Well-known member
Both Ottawa and Toronto say the signs they received from the Ford government to replace their banned speed cameras are too big to fit on the poles they currently have, meaning the province will have to pay for new poles and installation.
Earlier in November, Ontario’s ban on speed cameras came into force, after Premier Doug Ford repeatedly claimed big signs and flashing lights were a more effective way to slow people down than automated speed enforcement.
As part of its moves to remove speed cameras, the province said it would provide large, temporary slow-down signs to cities and then offer them infrastructure funding for broader changes in the new year.
When the signs arrived, however, they proved to be too large for the poles in school zones that cities had planned to mount them on.
“We have received signs for 20 school zones, and yes, they’re too big; we have to get new poles,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said on Wednesday. “The province said they would cover the cost.”
A spokesperson for the City of Ottawa, where bilingual signs appear to be even larger than Toronto’s, confirmed theirs were also too big and that the province would be handling the cost of adding new poles to mount them on.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria’s office said cities had been told weeks ago the province would pay for new poles if required and briefed on the size of the signs.
“I think the City of Ottawa, as part of their allocation, were given a lot of money to prepare for that and find appropriate poles to put the signs on,” Sarkaria told reporters on Wednesday.
Earlier in November, Ontario’s ban on speed cameras came into force, after Premier Doug Ford repeatedly claimed big signs and flashing lights were a more effective way to slow people down than automated speed enforcement.
As part of its moves to remove speed cameras, the province said it would provide large, temporary slow-down signs to cities and then offer them infrastructure funding for broader changes in the new year.
When the signs arrived, however, they proved to be too large for the poles in school zones that cities had planned to mount them on.
“We have received signs for 20 school zones, and yes, they’re too big; we have to get new poles,” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said on Wednesday. “The province said they would cover the cost.”
A spokesperson for the City of Ottawa, where bilingual signs appear to be even larger than Toronto’s, confirmed theirs were also too big and that the province would be handling the cost of adding new poles to mount them on.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria’s office said cities had been told weeks ago the province would pay for new poles if required and briefed on the size of the signs.
“I think the City of Ottawa, as part of their allocation, were given a lot of money to prepare for that and find appropriate poles to put the signs on,” Sarkaria told reporters on Wednesday.