BC installing speed cameras in intersections

The provincial government of British Columbia has announced it’s adding speed cameras to 35 intersections.

According to the government’s news release, the move comes after the government studied speed and crash data from the 140 intersections that are already equipped with red light cameras. Supposedly, this data indicated some intersections needed further traffic enforcement, and BC is using speed cameras to issue tickets, in an effort to slow down traffic.

“We have a record number of crashes happening – more than 900 a day in our province – and about 60 per cent of the crashes on our roads are at intersections,” Mike Farnworth (Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General) said in the province’s presser. “We’ve taken time to systematically pinpoint the locations linked to crashes and dangerous speeds that are best suited to safely catching, ticketing and changing the behaviours of those who cause carnage on B.C. roads.”

The tickets will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicles caught by the camera — there’s no word on whether those owners will get licence demerits as a result, but that’s typically not the case with speed cameras.

“The Intersection Safety Camera program reported an average of 10,500 vehicles a year going at least 30 km/h over the posted speed limit,” states the press release. Is that a lot? Numbers without context are basically meaningless, but it is worth noting that intersections are probably the most dangerous areas for motorcycles. While automated speed enforcement is, as a general rule, not optimal for motorcyclists, intersections may be the exception.

The speed cameras will be used at the following locations:

Abbotsford:

• Route 11 at Lonzo Road

Burnaby:

• Kingsway at Boundary Road
• Kingsway at Royal Oak Avenue
• Willingdon at Deer Lake

Coquitlam:

• Barnet Highway at Mariner Way

Delta:

• Nordel Way at 84th Avenue

Kelowna:

• Harvey Avenue at Cooper Road
• Highway 97 North at Banks Road

Langley:

• 200th Street at 64th Avenue
• Route 10 at Fraser Highway

Maple Ridge:

• Lougheed Highway at 207th Avenue

Nanaimo:

• Island Highway at Aulds Road

North Vancouver:

• Marine Drive at Capilano Road

Pitt Meadows:

• Lougheed Highway at Old Dewdney Trunk Road

Port Coquitlam:

• Lougheed Highway at Shaughnessy Street

Richmond:

• Garden City Road at Cambie Road

Surrey:

• 128th Street at 88th Avenue
• 152nd Street at 96th Avenue
• 152nd Street at King George Boulevard
• 64th Avenue at 152nd Street
• 96th Avenue at 132nd Street
• King George Boulevard at 104th Avenue
• King George Boulevard at 80th Avenue

Vancouver:

• Boundary Road at East 49th Avenue
• East Hastings Street at Main Street
• East Hastings Street at Renfrew Street
• Grandview Highway at Rupert Street
• Granville Street at West King Edward Avenue
• Kingsway at Joyce Street
• Kingsway at Victoria Drive
• Knight Street at East 33rd Avenue
• Oak Street at West 57th Avenue
• Oak Street at West 70th Avenue
• Southeast Marine Drive at Kerr Street
• West Georgia Street at Cardero Street