Ottawa's Traffic Calming Gets a Physical Upgrade
Ottawa is moving forward with a plan to install speed cushions and speed humps at locations that previously housed photo radar cameras — and for many residents living near school zones and community safety corridors, the change can't come soon enough.
The City of Ottawa confirmed the initiative as part of its broader effort to maintain safe driving speeds in high-risk areas following the wind-down of the province's Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program at select locations. Rather than let those corridors go unprotected, city staff are swapping out the cameras for physical infrastructure designed to slow drivers down whether they see a sign or not.
What Are Speed Cushions and Humps?
If you've ever felt your car bounce while driving through a residential neighbourhood, you already know what a speed hump is. These raised sections of pavement run the full width of a lane and are most effective on local and collector roads with lower posted speeds.
Speed cushions are a variation — narrower raised platforms that allow wider emergency vehicles like fire trucks and ambulances to straddle them without slowing down, while still forcing regular passenger cars to reduce speed. They're considered a smart compromise between traffic calming and keeping emergency response times intact.
Both measures are widely used across North American cities and are generally preferred by traffic engineers for their passive enforcement — no cameras, no tickets, just physics.
Why the Switch?
Ottawa's photo radar program was introduced under Ontario's community safety zone legislation, targeting school zones and other pedestrian-heavy areas. While the cameras were effective at generating fines and raising awareness, physical calming measures offer a more permanent and consistent solution: a driver can't simply slow down for the camera and speed back up moments later.
City staff and road safety advocates have long argued that the most durable way to reduce speeding is to make it physically uncomfortable — or at least inconvenient — to drive fast. Speed humps and cushions accomplish exactly that.
What This Means for Ottawa Neighbourhoods
For residents living near former photo radar sites — many of which are located near elementary schools and busy pedestrian crossings — the new infrastructure signals a long-term commitment to road safety rather than a revenue-generating measure.
Parents who walk their kids to school and seniors who cross busy residential streets will likely welcome the added layer of protection. And unlike camera systems, speed cushions and humps require minimal ongoing maintenance or operational costs once installed.
The City has identified specific locations across Ottawa where the installations will take place, prioritizing roads with a history of speeding complaints and pedestrian safety concerns.
What's Next
Residents can expect to see construction and installation work rolled out at former photo radar sites in the coming months. If you live near one of the flagged locations, watch for temporary signage and lane adjustments during the installation period.
Ottawa continues to balance the needs of drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians as the city grows — and this latest move suggests the approach is shifting toward infrastructure-first solutions over surveillance-based ones.
Source: CTV News Ottawa via Google News
