Vancouver City Council to discuss expanding speed and red light cameras

Sign warning drivers of a red light camera on West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver. (Shutterstock)

Major intersections in Vancouver known for being frequent locations for collisions should be monitored by speed and red light safety cameras, according to OneCity Vancouver councillor Christine Boyle.

Next week, she will be bringing forward a member motion asking Vancouver City Council to support the move to expand speed and red light safety cameras across the city at problematic locations.

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However, these safety cameras are currently outside of the municipal government’s jurisdiction — such equipment is installed, operated, and monitored by the provincial government.

If approved, her motion would ask the provincial government to install more cameras, and provide municipal governments with the legal ability to install such safety cameras at their own cost.

Currently, according to Boyle, there are 44 intersections in Vancouver with safety cameras.

According to the provincial government, it operates 140 safety cameras across BC, which means the cameras located within Vancouver’s municipal boundaries account for about one-third of the entire provincial deployment. Out of the provincial total, 105 cameras monitor only red light violations, while 35 monitor both red light and speed violations.

Map of existing speed and red light camera locations within Vancouver and nearby municipalities. (Government of BC)

Boyle’s motion specifically urges the need to expand safety cameras to over 100 more intersections, based on ICBC data that shows whether an intersection has seen over 100 collisions resulting in an injury or fatality between 2018 and 2022, and intersections with over 50 collisions located in close proximity to a school.

Over the same period, there were over 41,000 collisions resulting in injury or death — an average of 22 incidents per day — with over 50% of all serious injuries and fatalities involving a vehicle-borne by people walking or cycling, and with seniors accounting for 45% of all pedestrian fatalities.

She cites a study that ranks such cameras as the “most cost-effective” safety intervention.

Boyle adds that new revenue generated by safety cameras could go towards road safety improvements. Currently, the existing system of cameras generates an average of $8.2 million in revenue annually.

Fine revenues collected by the provincial government through the existing system of safety cameras are transferred to municipal governments to support policing and public safety programs.

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