'They don't plan on doing a review': aging photo radar system in need of upgrades
'They don't plan on doing a review': aging photo radar system in need of upgrades
Smyth said the technology is 20 years old, difficult to maintain, and no longer supported. (Source: CTV News Winnipeg)
A review of Winnipeg's photo radar enforcement program could now be on the shelf permanently, despite much needed upgrades to an aging system.
The study was announced back in 2019, when the province said it wanted to see if photo radar was meeting it's objectives to make Manitoba's streets safer.
The pandemic delayed the province from awarding a contract for the review. Now, it appears that it may never happen, even though the photo radar system needs major upgrades to keep up with the times.
At Friday's Police Board meeting, Chief Danny Smyth said work on the study has not progressed.
"My last indication was they don't plan on doing a review right now so there's been no movement in that area," said Smyth.
Independent traffic researcher Chris Sweryda said a review of the system is needed. "Photo radar needs to be reviewed badly," he said. "Any honest impartial review is going to reveal some of the serious problems that Winnipeg's facing."
The review was also deemed necessary because the system is out of date.
Smyth said the technology is 20 years old, difficult to maintain, and no longer supported, "The only thing that would collapse the program now, is just the equipment would deteriorate to the point where it's not functioning," he said.
Smyth added that the city needs amendments in provincial regulations to upgrade the system.
And police say they also need the province's blessing to expand or move some of the current intersection cameras to other locations where speeding is more of a problem.
Winnipeg has also grown over the last two decades, something Police Board Chair Markus Chambers said has not been taken into account. "There are streets that we have now that weren't part of when this photo enforcement program was rolled out," he said.
There are approximately 50 intersection camera locations in Winnipeg.
In a statement, the province would not say if it is still planning a review. It did say that nothing has happened since an external bid process began three years ago.
"A request for proposals was issued; however, before the consulting contract could be awarded, the COVID-19 pandemic started," reads the statement.
The province said it is currently exploring options for the use of photo enforcement in Manitoba, including looking at what other jurisdictions are doing.
The federal government is seeking to delay the extension of assisted dying eligibility to people whose sole condition is a mental disorder until March 17, 2024.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
It's about as strange (and cute) as holidays get. So how did Groundhog Day go from a kooky local tradition to an annual celebration even those of us who don't worry about winter can find the fun in?
Dominic Barton, the former global managing director of McKinsey & Company, says he had no involvement in federal contracts awarded to the firm in recent years.
Australia is removing the monarchy from its bank notes. The nation's new $5 bill will feature an Indigenous design rather than an image of King Charles III. But the king is still expected to appear on coins that currently bear the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
When the opera 'La Flambeau' premieres next week in Montreal, Black performers will be front and centre in an artistic medium where they have historically been under-represented.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
A large crowd of around 700 students, faculty members and Lethbridge residents came out on Wednesday to protest a planned speech by Frances Widdowson at the University of Lethbridge that didn't take place.
Ontario has released a new 'connected' and 'convenient' health-care plan aimed at shortening wait times and localizing access to care across the province.
A polar vortex is descending over Ontario this week and some of the coldest weather is still to come. Wind chills will also reach dangerous levels, increasing the risk of frostbite.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
Calgary police are looking for suspects involved in an altercation that lasted for approximately an hour, spanned several communities and ended with a gun being fired.
After an extremely mild month of January, the province is bracing for a blast of arctic air that will move in tonight and last until Saturday. Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued extreme cold warnings that covers most of the province with wind chills expected to be between -38 and -42 across the South and -50 across Northern Quebec.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
Ottawa ranks 45th out of 62 cities across Canada and the United States in a study on downtown recovery, with activity levels at 51 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
Ontario has released a new 'connected' and 'convenient' health-care plan aimed at shortening wait times and localizing access to care across the province.
On the day that Shubenacidie Sam predicted six more weeks of winter, we have warnings and statements cautioning that the coldest air of the season is about to arrive in the Maritimes.
Wiarton Willie made his prediction his spring prediction Thursday morning at 8:07 a.m. The groundhog did not see his shadow, meaning we could get an early spring.
B.C.'s Ministry of Health is continuing its multi-year trend of paying millions more dollars each year to private surgical centres for the delivery of public health care, CTV News has learned.
Changes to the amount of time the public gets to voice their opinion during Surrey City Council meetings has caused controversy among former councillors.
A pair of provincial parks are being considered in the B.C. government's treaty negotiations with the T’Sou-ke and Songhees nations on Vancouver Island.
A homicide investigation is underway on Quadra Island, B.C., after a 39-year old woman was found dead in what investigators believe was a targeted killing.
Smyth said the technology is 20 years old, difficult to maintain, and no longer supported. (Source: CTV News Winnipeg)
