Region's speed cameras on the move starting Monday

Motorists driving through Niagara-on-the-Lake will continue to be out of sight of Niagara Region's automated speed enforcement program cameras until some time in April. 

Beginning Monday, January 14, community safety zones hosting the often-controversial program will be set up in the following locations:

• Grimsby — Main Street East between Lawrence Avenue and Durham Road.
• Niagara Falls — McLeod Road between Oakwood Drive and Drummond Road; Montrose Road between Watson Street and Lundy’s Lane.
• Port Colborne — Killaly Street West between West Side Road and King Street.
• St. Catharines — Lakeshore Road between Bradmon Drive and Read Road; Louth Street between Rykert Street and Pelham Road.
• Welland — Prince Charles Drive North from First Avenue to Thorold Road and Rice Road from Thorold Road to Lacy Avenue.
• West Lincoln — Station Street between Spring Creek Road and West Street.

The region's speed reduction program began in fall 2023 with 10 cameras accomapanied by speed-tracking technology in seven municipalities.

Niagara-on-the-Lake has two designated community safety zones. In spring 2024 a camera on Niagara Stone Rd. between the roundabout on Concession 6 Rd. and Four Mile Creek Rd. became active for three months. Later in the year the stretch on York Rd. between Queenston Rd. and Concession 3 Rd. hosted an active speed camera for three months beginning in April. Those zones were near Crossroads and St. Davids Public Schools respectively. 

According to a report by the region last April, the first few months of the speed reduction program resulted in average speed dropping by 13 per cent, or 11 kilometres per hour. Speeding violations per hour dropped by 67 per cent, from 181 in September to 60 in December. Niagara Region transportation director Frank Tassone claims that an improvement in drivers following speed limits in all zones has continued even after the cameras were removed.

The automated speed enforcement program is an important part of the Region's Vision Zero initiative. Vision Zero is focused on reducing and eventually eliminating serious injuries and fatalities on Regional roads.