Alberta transportation minister talks traffic safety following deadly weekend

Following a deadly traffic weekend, Alberta’s transportation minister spoke to CityNews about how photo radar plays a role in stopping speeders.

But one edmonton city councillor says it’s not enough.

Police started the week, highlighting three traffic deaths all related to speed. With a warning for drivers to slow down — but also telling CityNews — provincial restrictions on photo radar that came into effect earlier this year have had a negative impact on speeding.

“We do know that when automated enforcement is at those key intersections — especially those high-risk intersections — driver behaviour does change,” said Devin Laforce, interim Edmonton police chief.

Thursday, at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Capital Line South LRT extension, which will see LRT service expanded into southwest Edmonton, Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen and Edmonton city councillors were on hand to celebrate the construction.

CityNews asked Minister Dreeshen about the recent traffic fatalities and concerns from Edmonton police leaders around photo radar. The remaining automated enforcement sites were restricted to high-risk locations like schools, playgrounds, and construction zones to end revenue-generating photo radar, but adds Alberta’s towns and cities can apply to have more photo radar.

“As of now, there haven’t been any official requests to have any photo radar outside of those three areas, but obviously something we’re willing to review with Edmonton and Calgary, and all the other municipalities,” Dreeshen explained.

The minister also pointing to $13 million from the province to redesign high-risk intersections with traffic-calming measures.

“Certain intersections that may be unsafe due to a curvature, due to a lack of an extra turning lane, due to the number of different physical barriers that make an intersection unsafe,” said Dreeshen.

But city councillor Michael Janz says the intersection redesign isn’t enough to stop fatal speeding.

“What the minister mentioned is appreciated, but unfortunately, it’s for all of Alberta. Edmonton alone, even if we were to do a million each, even if we got per capita, five million out of that, that’s only a few intersections every year,” said Janz.

Janz added he’s in favour of police backed legislation that would see vehicles seized when caught travelling at excessive speeds, but says officers need every tool when it comes to enforcement.

“What we saw this weekend was egregious — a driver was killed going 200 km/hr down 142nd street — no intersection design would have changed that. The police have been very clear they need every tool at their disposal,” said Janz.

So far this year, there have been at least 14 traffic fatalities.