Families experience school morning drop-offs for first time since Edmonton removed photo radar

Schools are seeing the return of morning rush drop-offs, and in Edmonton, it’s the first time since the city removed photo radar.

Edmonton police say they still have a presence near schools and playgrounds, but they’re using a more targeted approach to catch unsafe drivers.

“There’s over 300 schools, playground zones in Edmonton, so it’s difficult for us to just go randomly to some place. We like to go somewhere where there has been a concern raised, and then we can follow up with that,” explained Sgt. Kerry Bates, with the Edmonton Police Service.

St. Paul Elementary School has a patrol program to help keep the nearby crosswalk safe. The program is run by Grade 6 students.

Chiara Cimino, a teacher at St. Paul Catholic Elementary, says, “They’re here to support the cross walking, not to really dictate traffic, so they do their best to follow the routines.

“It’s pretty fun, but it’s a little nerve-wracking because you’re handling the street by yourself,” said Lyla Williams, one of four students taking the first shift of the new school year.

Williams hopes drivers will keep kids like her in mind on their busy commute and hit the brakes when they see the red stop signs go up.

“Most of the time, people will listen to us, but sometimes they just ignore what they’re doing,” said Williams.