Road Safety Initiatives Fund was announced after province banned municipal speed cameras
The Ontario government is opening a new round of funding for municipalities to support traffic-calming measures in school zones and community safety zones, the province announced Friday.
Beginning February 19, 2026, municipalities that previously used automated speed enforcement cameras will be able to apply for additional support through the $210‑million Road Safety Initiatives Fund (RSIF), according to a news release from the Ministry of Transportation.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the program is intended to support measures that slow drivers down without increasing costs for motorists through speed-camera fines. “This additional funding through the Road Safety Initiatives Fund will give municipalities the tools they need to invest in infrastructure that reduces speeding in real time, rather than issuing speeding tickets weeks after violations occur,” Sarkaria said in the statement.
The RSIF was launched in November 2025 with an initial $42 million in funding for eligible municipalities. The fund is designed to help communities shift from automated speed enforcement to other “proven traffic-calming measures,” including speed bumps, raised crosswalks, roundabouts, high‑visibility signage and increased targeted police enforcement in designated zones.
The new funding round follows recent provincial legislation that effectively ended municipal speed camera programs in Ontario. The Building a More Competitive Economy Act, which received Royal Assent on November 3, 2025, prohibits the use of municipal speed cameras as of November 14, 2025.
The province’s move came after what it described as public concern about cameras being used as a revenue source. According to figures cited in the release, more than 40 municipalities across Ontario operated automated speed enforcement programs before the ban took effect.
One camera in Toronto issued more than 65,000 tickets and collected nearly $7 million in fines before 2025, the province said. In Vaughan, 30,000 tickets were issued over a three‑week period through its program before the city cancelled it in September 2025. The Region of Waterloo issued 55,000 tickets in the first six months of its speed camera initiative.
The government notes that Ontario’s roads have ranked among the safest in North America for 25 years, with one of the lowest fatality rates per 10,000 licensed drivers.
All municipalities that previously used speed cameras are eligible to apply for RSIF funding. Further details on the application process were not included in Friday’s announcement.
