'Not about the revenue': Edmonton councillor disappointed with incoming photo radar restrictions

The province is going ahead with significant changes to limit where cities can use photo radar. 

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

According to a memo sent to Edmonton city council and obtained by CTV News Edmonton, the Alberta government will release new guidelines on automated traffic enforcement (photo radar) in December.

The memo lists policy changes as including:

• banning automated traffic enforcement (photo radar) on provincial highways, and numbered highways and roads that connect with provincial highways;
• restricting automated traffic enforcement to playground, school and construction zones; and
• eliminating speeding enforcement by intersection safety devices at intersections.

This means photo radar will no longer be allowed on major roadways like Anthony Henday Drive, Yellowhead Trail, Whitemud Drive, Stony Plain Road, Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard.

Edmonton Coun. Jo-Anne Wright said she's disappointed with the decision.

"It wasn't the enhancements that I was anticipating that our Safe Mobility team would have heard from the province," Wright said.

The memo, from acting deputy city manager Craig McKeown, said 88 per cent of traffic fatalities last year were on Edmonton roadways that will no longer be allowed to have photo radar, and that 57 per cent of those were a result of speed.

The province has called photo radar a "cash cow" and in December 2023, it was banned from Calgary and Edmonton ring roads.

In a statement, Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen told CTV News Edmonton the change is the result of from his ministry working over the summer with municipalities and law enforcement to "get rid of 'fishing hole' locations."

"The province wants to ensure photo radar is sued for traffic safety, rather than revenue generation."

In 2023, the capital city collected around $29 million from photo enforcement at 422 sites.

Wright said enforcement isn't about making money. She said photo radar trucks act as a deterrent and fines are used to pay for safe mobility initiatives such as crosswalk upgrades and road design improvements.

"It's really not about the revenue," Wright said. "It's (about making) our streets safe and livable for all residents to enjoy." 

The City of Edmonton's 2023 Automated Traffic Enforcement Report shows that crashes at an intersection on the Whitemud dropped from an average of 12 crashes a year to five a year after an intersection safety device was installed in 2018.

Automated enforcement is the only way the city can enforce speeding limits. Wright said if the province is going to restrict that use, she would like to see more police out enforcing.

"But, again, that's going to increase their funding needs as well," she added.

 "I don't know why (Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen) limiting our ability to to try to keep our our streets safe."

The memo said city administration will review the changes and impacts once the details are released, including financial mitigation options to offset the loss of automated enforcement income.

Dreeshen said the government would finalize the list of approved photo radar locations by the end of the year.