129 Effectiveness of automated speed enforcement in reducing vehicle speeds within school community safety zones in Toronto, Canada

<h3>Background</h3> Speed is one of the most important determinants of traffic collisions and the severity of resulting injuries. While previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) on major roads in reducing speed violations and related incidents, research exploring its impact on residential and community areas is limited. In 2020, the City of Toronto introduced an ASE program with 50 mobile camera units, which were relocated to new school areas at the end of each phase. This study analyzes data collected from 250 locations during the initial five phases of the ASE program. <h3>Objective</h3> This study aims to evaluate the impact of ASE cameras on reducing vehicle speeds near schools in Toronto. <h3>Methods</h3> Pre-ASE installation data, encompassing speed and vehicle volume metrics collected post-2018 using pneumatic road tubes, were compared with data obtained during the ASE deployment. Our analysis examined the proportion of vehicles exceeding speed limits and changes in the 85th percentile speeds. Fixed-effects regressions with robust standard errors using generalized estimating equation (GEE) was employed to estimate mean differences in 85th percentile speeds over time, accounting for program phases, seasonality, and the built environment. The relative risk (RR) of vehicles exceeding speed limits during the ASE intervention, adjusting for confounding factors was also determined. <h3>Results</h3> Our findings reveal a large reduction in the 85th percentile speed by 11 km/h and a 46% decrease in the risk of vehicles exceeding speed limits during the ASE intervention. This reduction was particularly notable on roads with higher speed limits. Some locations in inner suburban Toronto near schools continued to experience high-speed traffic even with the cameras, which poses potential risks to vulnerable road users. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The Toronto ASE program has effectively reduced speeding. In some areas, speeding above 30 km/h (WHO recommended speed for busy mixed-traffic urban areas) was prevalent even with the ASE intervention period due to set speed limits and connectivity to high-volume arterial roads and highways. Our results emphasize the potential of ASE as an important component of Toronto’s Vision Zero initiatives, alongside other speed management strategies, in enhancing safety near schools.