ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: March 14, 1996
Dept. File No. H193-29
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services and the Chief
Constable
SUBJECT: Photo Radar Usage in City of Vancouver
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council endorse the usage of photo radar in the City of
Vancouver;
B. THAT the Province of British Columbia be requested to share a
portion of the net revenue from the Speed Management Program
in Vancouver with the City to fund safety programs in
Engineering Services and the Police Department; further,
C. THAT staff report back on the allocation of these funds.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager RECOMMENDS endorsation of a 6 month trial of photo
radar with further approval contingent upon successful negotiation
on revenue-sharing with the Provincial Government.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council supports a large number of Public Safety programs, through
the Vancouver Police Department and Engineering Services; these
also include the partnership with ICBC in traffic safety
improvements and the Vancouver Police Department's participation in
Counterattack Against Drinking and Driving.
BACKGROUND
Council requested staff to report back on the desirability of photo
radar use in Vancouver, and the history and acceptance of photo radar
use elsewhere on November 14, 1995.
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A companion report by the Vancouver Police Department details the
operational arrangements, and has been submitted to the Police Board.
On February 28, 1996, the Vancouver Police Board passed the following
resolutions:
"That the Vancouver Police Board support the position of the Chief
Constable to utilize photo radar in the City of Vancouver;
And that the Chief Constable sign the Integrated Traffic Camera
Unit Memorandum of Understanding between the Vancouver Police
Department, other Municipal Police Departments, RCMP, and Ministry
of Attorney General and the Ministry of Transportation and
Highways;
And further that the Vancouver Police Board pursue the issue of
revenue-sharing relative to photo radar with the Province of
British Columbia."
This report is presented by the Engineering staff to complement the
Police report.
DISCUSSION
The Speed Monitoring Camera (SMC), commonly named photo radar, has been
deployed in many cities and countries to discourage speeding and to
improve traffic safety. In order to determine the desirability of photo
radar use in Vancouver, there are several factors to be considered:
1. Safety Issues
Speeding is a primary factor in many of the traffic accidents which
occur in the City of Vancouver. The average number of traffic
accidents in the City of Vancouver from 1991 to 1995 was 22,000 per
year, roughly 25% of all accidents in the Province of British
Columbia. The photo radar program would have a positive effect on
accident reduction.
The Police report presents a comprehensive evaluation on the usage
of photo radar to improve traffic safety. These factors provide a
clear and strong picture of the rationale for photo radar.
A report released by the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario in
1995 considered the speed camera to be effective in reducing
fatalities by 16% and speeding violation by 80%.
The Australian State of Victoria has achieved significant
reductions since the implementation of the speed reduction
campaign. The number of people killed on the roads reduced from
777 in 1989 to 378 in 1994, a reduction of 51%.
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2. Other Cities' Experience
Staff researched other Canadian cities' experience and history of
photo radar usage.
Photo radar has been deployed since 1989 in cities such as Calgary
and Edmonton. Ontario was the first province to approve the use of
photo radar in 1993. However, the new Ontario Government
discontinued the program in late 1995 on provincial highways. Some
cities such as Mississauga and Hamilton are still using the photo
radar for their arterial streets.
Locally, West Vancouver and Surrey have decided not to participate
in the Speed Management Program. Councils of Burnaby, Richmond,
Coquitlam, Langley and North Vancouver have heard presentations
from the Traffic Safety Initiative (TSI) Committee and raised no
objection to the Speed Management Program.
3. Public Perception Issues
The introduction of photo radar in other jurisdictions has raised a
number of public concerns, including the following:
- photo radar may be perceived as a revenue-generation scheme to
increase Government income, in effect a "tax grab". The
program is expected to generate net revenue of $78 million in
its first year, and about $90 million per year thereafter.
The average net revenue per camera is $3 million a year. The
Ontario Government discontinued its program under public
pressure on this point. It is suggested that this concern
could be alleviated somewhat if the funds were directed
towards existing and enhanced safety programs.
- lack of opportunity to discuss the unusual or specific
circumstance under which a motorist is caught speeding. The
conventional method allows the motorist personal interaction
with the police officer to discuss the situation and it may be
forgiven if deserved. Photo radar is viewed as impersonal.
- delayed notification. When the registered owner receives the
notice by mail, he may not be able to recall the circumstances
at the time of the alleged offence, and/or who was the driver.
In this regard, it should be noted that personal delivery
options are being evaluated by the Integrated Traffic Camera
Unit to reduce the time between violation and notification.
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- concerns about personal privacy. The camera provides evidence
of a person's whereabouts at a given date and time, which is
then mailed to the home or worksite. Many find this to be an
intrusion (or at least potentially embarrassing!). In this
regard, it should be noted that the camera design has been
modified to photograph the rear of the vehicle, so the
driver's face will not be visible.
Similar issues are likely to be raised by citizens here in
Vancouver. Some form of communication program will be required to
address these concerns.
4. Financial Implications
The Speed Management Program has estimated the net revenue to be
$90 million per year. Approximately $18 million will be generated
in the City of Vancouver alone. Since all of these revenues are
collected by the Province, the City does not benefit directly from
the program. However, the Vancouver Police Department is
reimbursed for its out-of-pocket costs.
The City of Vancouver spends approximately $6 million per year on
traffic safety programs. These programs include traffic
enforcement by police, and traffic safety improvements by
Engineering Services. Virtually all of this activity is funded
from the property-tax base; all vehicle-based revenues, such as
gasoline tax, sales taxes, and license fees, accrue to senior
governments. Through ICBC, the Province has recently contributed
to specific safety projects such as improved signals and markings,
but this contribution is small.
One solution to this inequity would be that some of the revenue be
directly invested in the traffic safety improvements and controlled
directly by the City. This revenue-sharing could be used to fund
existing efforts and to expand to other areas of traffic safety
improvements.
5. Administrative Implications
The City of Vancouver owns and operates a large fleet of close to
1,200 vehicles. Under the Speed Management program, violation
notices will be sent to vehicle registered owners. When one of the
City-owned vehicles is observed to be in violation, the City must
be able to nominate the driver or pay the fine directly. (All
drivers are responsible for paying fines arising out of traffic
violations in City vehicles.) At
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present, most offices do maintain a vehicle sign-out system, but it
may not be sufficiently precise to identify the driver in every
case. A further concern is that some jurisdictions have enacted a
provision to impound vehicles when the driver is found to be
unqualified. Such a practise could have significant effect on the
City's operations. A more formal vehicle monitoring system needs
to be developed to identify drivers in control of City vehicles,
and to ensure that drivers' licenses are up-to-date. Staff will
proceed to ensure that such a system is in place.
CONCLUSION
Engineering Services supports in principle the usage of photo radar in
the City of Vancouver. However, there are a number of issues that will
arise in its implementation; while some can be addressed through
measures outlined here, others are likely to persist as issues of public
concern.
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