London Ontario Traffic Sensor Data - Access Bylaw Rules

Technology and Data Ontario 3 Minutes Read · published February 12, 2026 Flag of Ontario

London, Ontario maintains traffic sensor datasets used for planning, traffic management and safety analysis. This guide explains how municipal rules, provincial access law and the City Open Data portal affect requests and permitted uses of traffic sensor data. It summarizes where to find published datasets, how to request unpublished or personal-information records, and practical compliance steps for researchers, vendors and municipal partners. For published datasets see the City Open Data portal data.london.ca[1].

Overview

Traffic sensors include automated vehicle counters, loop detectors and signal timing logs. The City publishes aggregated, non-identifying sensor outputs where possible; other records that contain personal information or detailed live feeds may be restricted. Users should check dataset metadata and any license or terms of use before reuse. When records are not published, access requests are governed by provincial access and privacy rules and the City’s access processes.

Check dataset metadata first to confirm what is publicly available.

Penalties & Enforcement

Access, retention and disclosure of municipal records are subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and the City’s access policies; the provincial statute provides obligations for institutions and offences for improper disclosure. Specific monetary fines or bylaw sections for misuse of traffic sensor data are not specified on the cited pages.Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA)[2]

  • Fines: not specified on the cited page.
  • Escalation: city administrative orders, access refusal notices and potential court enforcement; specific first/repeat/continuing offence scales are not specified on the cited pages.
  • Non-monetary sanctions: records access refusals, orders to cease disclosure, preservation orders, and referral to prosecution where provincial offences apply.
  • Enforcer and complaints: City of London departments (Transportation Services and By-law Enforcement) administer compliance and complaints; access requests and privacy complaints follow municipal access procedures and MFIPPA appeal routes.
  • Appeals and time limits: appeals under MFIPPA are typically made to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario; specific municipal appeal periods and internal review timelines are not specified on the cited pages.
If you believe data has been misused, report it promptly to municipal access or by-law contacts.

Applications & Forms

No specific, dedicated form for traffic sensor data extraction is published on the dataset page; requests for unpublished records or records containing personal information must be made under the municipal access-to-information process per MFIPPA, and any applicable fees or timelines are not specified on the cited pages.

  • How to apply: submit an access request through the City’s access-to-information channel or download any municipal request form if published by the City.
  • Fees and deadlines: not specified on the cited pages; municipal fees may apply under the access process.
  • Evidence and justification: include dataset IDs, date ranges, and intended use to speed processing.
No dedicated public extraction form for sensor feeds is published on the dataset page.

How-To

  1. Identify the dataset on the City Open Data portal and review its metadata and license.
  2. If the needed record is unpublished or contains personal information, prepare an access-to-information request with dataset identifiers, date ranges and intended use.
  3. Submit the request through the City’s access channel or contact the City’s access office to confirm the submission method and fees.
  4. If access is refused, follow MFIPPA appeal procedures with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario or seek internal review as set out by the municipality.

FAQ

How do I request traffic sensor data?
Check published datasets on the City Open Data portal; for unpublished or personal-information records, submit a municipal access-to-information request under MFIPPA.
Can I get live sensor feeds for a commercial product?
Live feeds and detailed records may be restricted; the dataset page and provincial access rules govern disclosure and licensing, and specific permissions are not specified on the cited pages.
Who enforces improper use of sensor data?
City departments (Transportation Services and By-law Enforcement) manage municipal compliance and MFIPPA outlines provincial enforcement and appeal routes.

Key Takeaways

  • Start with the City Open Data portal to find published traffic datasets.
  • Use municipal access-to-information procedures for unpublished or personal-information records.
  • Contact City access or by-law offices for complaints, forms and guidance.

Help and Support / Resources

  1. [1] City of London - Open Data: Traffic counts dataset
  2. [2] Government of Ontario - Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA)

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