Drivers in Markham will see a lot more automated speed enforcement in the years ahead. York Region is expanding its camera program by 60 additional fixed units, which are being installed across the region between 2024 and 2026, with 20 of them in place by the end of 2024.
The region's current cameras have already produced measurable results, according to details published in the City of Markham's Markham 360 newsletter. Vehicle speeds drop by roughly 10 km/h in areas where a camera is present, and compliance with posted speed limits rises by about 25 per cent.
How the cameras work
Automated speed enforcement pairs a camera with a speed measurement device. When a vehicle exceeds the limit in a monitored zone, the system captures an image, which is then reviewed by a provincial offences officer.
The ticket — which includes a digitized copy of the image and an enlarged photo of the licence plate — is sent only by mail to the registered plate holder. The region stresses that tickets are never issued by text message or email, a point worth remembering at a time when scam notices are common.
Regional cameras are authorized only in school areas and community safety zones. Warning signs go up first and must remain in place for at least 90 days before enforcement begins, at which point they are swapped for signs showing a camera is active.
A map and full list of York Region camera locations is available on the region's website, and the nine local cities and towns, including Markham, may operate additional cameras of their own.
Major road projects on the horizon
The same newsletter rounds up a series of road projects that will shape travel in Markham over the next several years.
Kennedy Road, from north of Highway 407 to Highway 7, is set to be widened to accommodate bus rapid transit facilities starting in 2026. McCowan Road from 14th Avenue to Highway 7 is scheduled for widening from four to six lanes, including transit-HOV lanes, beginning in 2028.
16th Avenue is being widened from four to six lanes between Leslie Street and Kennedy Road, with construction running from 2025 until 2030. A separate stretch of 16th Avenue, from Leslie Street to Warden Avenue, is also slated for widening starting in 2025.
Ninth Line is being widened from two to four lanes between Steeles Avenue and Fieldside Street beginning in 2025.
A new bridge over Highway 404, north of 16th Avenue, will link Orlando Avenue with Markland Street. That project began in summer 2023 and is expected to be finished in early 2026.
Shorter-term work already underway includes intersection improvements at Donald Cousens Parkway and 14th Avenue, at Donald Cousens Parkway and Copper Creek Drive, at Enterprise Boulevard and Rouge Valley Drive West, and at Woodbine Avenue and Esna Park Drive/John Street. Road preservation is also taking place on stretches of Warden Avenue, Woodbine Avenue and Ninth Line.
