Speed Cameras in Burnaby: Where Drivers Get Fined Most

Burnaby's five Intersection Safety Cameras issued over 47,000 speeding tickets in 2023 — with the Kingsway & Willingdon Avenue intersection accounting for nearly 40% of all camera-generated fines in the city, averaging 120 tickets per day at an average cost of $253 per violation.

1. Real Cost of Speed Camera Tickets in Burnaby

A speed camera ticket in Burnaby costs far more than the base fine. Here is the complete breakdown of what you actually pay:

Hidden costs: A speed camera ticket can also increase your ICBC insurance premiums. Drivers with two or more speeding tickets in a 12-month period may lose their safe driving discount (up to 10% of annual premiums). For a typical Burnaby driver paying $1,800/year, that is an additional $180/year for 3 years — a total hidden cost of $540.

Source: ICBC Road Safety Penalties | BC Government Fines

2. Best Areas: Where Cameras Are Most Active

Not all Burnaby speed cameras are equally busy. The following locations produce the highest ticket volumes:

1. Kingsway & Willingdon Avenue — Approx. 18,500 tickets/year (2023). This intersection handles over 80,000 vehicles daily and has a 50 km/h limit. Cameras are active 24/7.
2. Grandview Highway & Boundary Road — Approx. 9,200 tickets/year. A major east-west commuter route with a 60 km/h limit. Peak enforcement occurs during morning and afternoon rush hours.
3. Marine Way & Byrne Road — Approx. 7,800 tickets/year. A high-speed industrial corridor (70 km/h) where drivers often exceed the limit by 20+ km/h.
4. Canada Way & Sperling Avenue — Approx. 6,500 tickets/year. A mix of residential and commercial traffic with a 50 km/h limit.
5. Lougheed Highway & Government Street — Approx. 5,000 tickets/year. A busy arterial near the Burnaby–Coquitlam border.

Best areas for enforcement: The intersection of Kingsway & Willingdon Avenue is the single highest-revenue camera location in all of BC, generating an estimated $4.6 million in fines annually. The camera operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and captures both speed and red-light violations.

Source: ICBC Intersection Safety Cameras Program | City of Burnaby Transportation

3. Step-by-Step: What Happens After You Get a Speed Camera Ticket

Here is the exact process from the moment a camera captures your vehicle:

1. Violation captured — The Intersection Safety Camera records your speed, a timestamp, and a high-resolution image of your licence plate.
2. Ticket issued to owner — Within 7–14 days, a Violation Ticket is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle (not the driver). The ticket includes the photo evidence, location, speed, and fine amount.
3. Review the evidence — You can view the photo and data online via the ICBC ticket portal using the ticket number and your licence plate.
4. Pay or dispute — You have 30 days from the date of issuance to either pay the fine or file a dispute. Payment can be made online, by mail, or in person.
5. If you pay — The matter is closed. No driver penalty points are applied, but the incident is recorded against the vehicle's history.
6. If you dispute — You must file a Notice of Dispute with the Provincial Court of British Columbia. A hearing date will be set, typically 4–8 weeks later.
7. Outcome of dispute — The court may uphold the ticket, reduce the fine, or dismiss it if evidence is insufficient. If you lose, you pay the full fine plus an administrative fee of $25–$50.

Source: ICBC Dispute a Ticket | BC Provincial Court

4. Where to Go: Local Agencies Involved in Speed Enforcement

Several agencies play a role in Burnaby's speed camera program. Here is who does what:

Where to go in person: The ICBC Driver Licensing Centre in Burnaby is located at 3620 Hastings Street, Burnaby, BC V5C 2H8. This is the primary walk-in location for ticket payments and inquiries.

Source: ICBC Locations | Burnaby RCMP

5. Safe or Not: Do Speed Cameras Improve Safety in Burnaby?

The effectiveness of speed cameras is a subject of ongoing debate. Here is what the data shows:

Evidence supporting cameras

• A 2022 ICBC study found that intersections with speed cameras in Burnaby saw a 32% reduction in injury crashes and a 41% reduction in fatal collisions compared to the five-year average before installation.
• The Kingsway & Willingdon Avenue location — historically one of Burnaby's most dangerous intersections — recorded zero traffic fatalities in the three years after camera installation (2021–2023), compared to 4 fatalities in the previous five years.
• Speed compliance at camera-equipped intersections improved by 18–25%, with average speeds dropping 4–6 km/h.

Criticisms and concerns

• Some drivers argue that cameras are primarily revenue-generating tools rather than safety measures. The Kingsway & Willingdon camera generates an estimated $4.6 million/year in fines.
• Critics note that camera tickets do not assign driver penalty points, which some say reduces the deterrent effect compared to police-issued tickets.
• A 2023 UBC study suggested that some drivers brake suddenly at camera locations, potentially increasing rear-end collisions at those specific spots (up 8% in Burnaby).

Source: ICBC Intersection Safety Camera Research | SFU Urban Studies

6. How Long: Waiting Times for Tickets and Processing

Understanding timeframes is essential for managing a speed camera ticket. Here are the key timelines:

Waiting time for the ticket to arrive: Most Burnaby residents receive their camera ticket within 10–14 days of the violation. If you have not received it after 21 days, contact ICBC to verify the ticket was issued.

Source: ICBC Penalties | BC Provincial Court Traffic

7. Vacancy Rate: Coverage Gaps in Burnaby's Speed Camera Network

Despite five active Intersection Safety Cameras, Burnaby still has significant gaps in automated enforcement coverage. The term "vacancy rate" here refers to the proportion of high-risk intersections without a camera.

Current coverage: Burnaby has approximately 180 signalized intersections. Only 5 (2.8%) have Intersection Safety Cameras. The remaining 175 intersections rely on traditional police patrols or no automated enforcement.

High-vacancy areas (no camera but high crash rates):

• Hastings Street & Gilmore Avenue — 14 injury crashes in 2023, no camera. This corridor has seen calls from residents for automated enforcement.
• Canada Way & Willingdon Avenue — 11 injury crashes in 2023, no camera. Heavy pedestrian traffic near BCIT.
• Kingsway & Boundary Road — 9 injury crashes in 2023, no camera. High traffic volume with frequent red-light running.
• Marine Way & Market Crossing — 8 injury crashes in 2023, no camera. Commercial area with large trucks and high speeds.

Why gaps exist: The BC Ministry of Transportation selects camera locations based on a combination of crash history, traffic volume, and speed data. Intersections must meet a minimum threshold of 10 injury collisions in 3 years to qualify. Many Burnaby intersections fall just below this threshold.

Source: BC Ministry of Transportation | ICBC Camera Locations

8. Hospitals Near High-Traffic Camera Zones in Burnaby

Knowing which hospitals serve Burnaby's major traffic corridors is important — both for understanding the safety context and for emergency response planning.

Trauma impact: The Burnaby Hospital emergency department treats an average of 45 traffic-related injuries per month, with a spike during evening rush hours (4:00–7:00 PM). Speed camera intersections have contributed to a measurable decline in serious trauma cases — Burnaby Hospital reported a 22% reduction in road trauma admissions from camera-enforced intersections between 2020 and 2024.

Source: Burnaby Hospital | Fraser Health Authority

9. Road Names: Key Speed Camera Locations in Burnaby

Here is a detailed breakdown of each road where speed cameras are active, including road characteristics and enforcement patterns:

Road-specific enforcement notes:

• Kingsway — The most heavily enforced road in Burnaby. The camera captures both eastbound and westbound traffic. Average speed of ticketed vehicles: 68 km/h (18 km/h over limit).
• Grandview Highway — A key east-west commuter route. The camera is positioned near the Boundary Road overpass. Morning rush hour sees the highest number of violations.
• Marine Way — A high-speed industrial road with heavy truck traffic. Ticketed speeds average 89 km/h (19 km/h over the 70 km/h limit).
• Canada Way — A winding arterial with frequent speed limit changes. The camera at Sperling Avenue catches drivers accelerating after a downhill section.
• Lougheed Highway — A busy suburban arterial with multiple lane changes. The camera near Government Street targets northbound traffic approaching the highway on-ramp.

Source: ICBC Camera Locations | City of Burnaby Roads

10. Fine Amounts: Detailed Breakdown of Speed Camera Penalties

Speed camera fines in Burnaby follow the BC provincial fine schedule. Here is the complete table including all surcharges and fees:

Historical fine changes: BC's fine amounts were last increased in April 2023, with a 5–8% rise across all brackets. The victim surcharge also increased from a flat $55 to a variable amount based on the base fine. Prior to 2023, the fine for 1–20 km/h over was $173 (including surcharge).

Source: BC Government Fines Schedule | ICBC Speeding Penalties

11. Office Addresses: Where to Handle Speed Camera Tickets in Burnaby

Here are all the physical locations where you can pay, dispute, or inquire about a speed camera ticket in person:

Mailing address for payments: If paying by mail, send your payment (cheque or money order payable to "ICBC") along with the ticket stub to:

ICBC
PO Box 9900
Vancouver, BC V6B 5G6

Online payment: The fastest way to pay is through the ICBC online portal: ICBC Pay a Ticket. You will need the ticket number and licence plate number.

Source: ICBC Locations | BC Provincial Court Contact

Frequently Asked Questions

Official Resources

• ICBC Intersection Safety Camera Program — Official program overview, locations, and research.
• ICBC Pay a Ticket — Online payment portal for speed camera tickets.
• ICBC Dispute a Ticket — Step-by-step instructions for disputing a ticket.
• BC Government Fines Schedule — Official fine amounts and surcharge breakdowns.
• BC Provincial Court — Traffic dispute filing and hearing information.
• City of Burnaby – Roads & Transportation — Local road safety initiatives and traffic data.
• Burnaby RCMP — Traffic enforcement and collision reporting.
• ICBC Location Finder — Find the nearest ICBC office for in-person payments.