Ottawa residents who rely on automated speed cameras to slow traffic near schools and playgrounds may not get to see the research behind them anytime soon. Changes to Ontario's transparency laws have blocked the release of government studies examining automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras, according to a Global News investigation, just as Premier Doug Ford has escalated his public criticism of the devices, repeatedly calling them a "cash grab."
What Global News found
Global News filed freedom of information requests to understand what data and analysis the provincial government actually reviewed before Ford began attacking the cameras. Those requests came back blocked, meaning the public — including municipalities like the City of Ottawa that operate their own camera networks — can't see what evidence, if any, informed the premier's comments.
Why this matters in Ottawa
Ottawa has installed automated speed cameras in dozens of community safety zones near schools and parks across the city, part of a broader push to reduce speeding in residential neighbourhoods. The cameras have generated significant ticket revenue for the city and have been credited by road safety advocates with slowing traffic in some zones. But they've also drawn criticism from drivers who call them a revenue tool rather than a genuine safety measure — echoing the premier's own language.
With the province now restricting access to its own internal research on ASE effectiveness, Ottawa city councillors and residents are left without clarity on whether Ford's criticism is grounded in provincial data or is purely political. That uncertainty matters locally: if the province moves to restrict or ban municipal speed camera programs, Ottawa's community safety zone strategy — and the revenue and safety outcomes tied to it — could be directly affected.
The bigger transparency question
Beyond speed cameras specifically, the case highlights a broader concern about government transparency in Ontario. When a premier makes public claims about a program's value — for or against — residents and municipalities typically expect the ability to review the underlying evidence through freedom of information requests. Blocking that access makes it harder for cities like Ottawa to plan their own traffic safety strategies with confidence, and harder for the public to evaluate whether policy changes at Queen's Park are based on data or rhetoric.
Ottawa's city government has not yet issued a formal response to the FOI denial, but the outcome could shape future debates at city hall over whether to expand, maintain, or scale back the municipality's own speed camera program depending on which way provincial policy ultimately shifts.
Source: Global News Ottawa
