Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is urgently requesting $210 million from the Ontario government following the province's controversial ban on municipal speed cameras, a move that threatens both road safety initiatives and approximately 1,000 jobs.
Funding Request Details
The funding request, unanimously approved by Toronto City Council on Thursday, aims to cover the full operating costs of essential safety personnel and infrastructure. This includes $31.2 million for 911 crossing guards and $3.9 million for 18 traffic safety police officers whose positions were previously funded through speed camera revenue.
Additionally, the city is seeking provincial compensation for planned road safety improvements now in jeopardy. The breakdown includes $95.8 million for local safety enhancements, $13.92 million for traffic calming measures, and $40.6 million for traffic lights and other safety infrastructure.
Immediate Job and Safety Impacts
Mayor Chow emphasized the immediate consequences of the provincial decision, stating that starting Friday, approximately 1,000 people could lose their jobs. She stressed that the issue extends beyond revenue, touching directly on public safety and employment.
"Firing or laying off the crossing guards will not make people safe," Chow told council. "Reassigning the 18 traffic cops will certainly not make our city any safer."
The mayor took her message to social media platform X, directly addressing Premier Doug Ford's government. "The cameras helped pay for over 900 crossing guards and 18 police officers," she wrote. "Frontline workers who make roads safer, paid for by speeders. The province should cover the cost to keep these workers on our streets."
Provincial Response and Alternative Funding
The Ford government's legislation banning speed cameras as a "revenue tool" took effect November 14, 2025, after being passed on November 3. In response to municipal concerns, the Ministry of Transportation announced a new $210 million provincial fund to support safety measures in school and community safety zones.
Premier Ford defended the decision on social media, stating: "Starting Friday, cash-grab municipal speed cameras are no longer allowed in Ontario. Instead, we're supporting proactive, proven safety measures like speed bumps, roundabouts and better signage that slow drivers down without making life more expensive."
The new Road Safety Initiatives Fund (RSIF) will support traffic-calming measures including speed bumps, raised crosswalks, roundabouts, high-visibility signage, and increased police enforcement in safety zones.
Since their introduction in 2019, speed cameras have generated significant revenue for municipalities across Ontario. Toronto alone collected approximately $40 million in fines from speeding drivers last year, with total collections exceeding $100 million since the program's inception. This revenue was directly allocated to fund safety measures throughout the city.
Mayor Chow warned that capital projects planned for the next decade will face significant underfunding due to the loss of this revenue stream, creating long-term challenges for Toronto's road safety infrastructure.
