FAQs
Is police enforcement going to increase in the pilot areas?
The purpose of the pilot is to review if a lower speed limit throughout a neighbourhood has an impact in itself. Tickets issued within the pilot areas will carry higher fines due to the lower speed limit but the volume of enforcement will remain largely consistent with the rest of the City. Prioritizing the pilot neighbourhoods over the rest of the City would skew the results of the pilot and would not be a sustainable initiative. In and out of the pilot areas, locations of concern may have heightened enforcement through the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program.
Residents can use the Waterloo Regional Police’s online reporting form to request enforcement for any location.
While regular enforcement is not changing, Elgin Street North at Elgin Street P.S. and Guelph Avenue at St Gabriel C.E.S. are to be part of the Region of Waterloo’s rotating Automated Speed Enforcement program.
There is speeding in my area, can you reduce the speed on my street as well?
The pilot program is for select neighbourhoods only. A report will be submitted to Council outlining the results of the study.
If you would like to learn more/inquire about Speed Management, please visit https://www.cambridge.ca/en/learn-about/road-safety.aspx.
People are still speeding down our street, what can we do to stop it?
Residents can use the Waterloo Regional Police Service online reporting to report traffic or driving related concerns https://www.wrps.on.ca/en/services-reporting/online-reporting-.aspx
Why does the City not look into additional all-way stop controlled intersections? This would help with speeding issues within the City.
The purpose of an all-way stop is to assign right-of-way at an intersection and is not intended to be used as a speed control device. Unwarranted all-way stops are not recommended as they lead to poor motorist compliance, can provide a false sense of security to pedestrians and contribute to increased vehicle emissions and increase noise pollution.
When will we see traffic calming features or speed reductions on our street?
If you would like a section of road evaluated for traffic calming, a request can be submitted to transportation@cambridge.ca.
Could the City look at installing speed cameras along roadways?
Provincial legislation permits municipalities to use ASE (Automatic Speed Enforcement) units exclusively in school zones and community safety zones. The ASE program in Waterloo Region is being led by the Region of Waterloo in collaboration with the area municipalities and, at this time, ASE units are only being used in school zones. If you are interested in more information regarding the ASE program you can view the Region’s ASE page on their website using this link https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/living-here/automated-speed-enforcement.aspx.
Why is the City is placing signs in the middle and sides of the road?
These are Seasonal Traffic Calming (STC) signs. STC signs are a tool used to control speeds, increase awareness of school and trail crossings or delineate lanes. As the name suggests the signs are seasonal and are only used between May and October. Outside of this time period the signs are removed as they impede winter maintenance operations and are likely to be damaged. The signs are used to narrow the lane widths, altering driver behavior. The narrowed lanes make most drivers less comfortable speeding without negatively impacting emergency services and transit. Speed reductions have been noted in areas where STC signs are used.
When was the data collected? Some areas have experienced construction throughout the Pilot study.
Data was collected prior to the initiation of the pilot and during the pilot. In areas where construction occurred while the pilot was underway, data was collected prior to the construction and post completion of construction. There was no data collected during the time of construction.