No more photo radar in playground zones, city to focus on other safety measures

The City of Edmonton says it's pulling photo radar from playground and school zones for good. CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson explains why.

The City of Edmonton is removing photo radar enforcement in playground zones next month as the school year winds down and many students begin summer break.

Edmonton officials say the decision aligns with their “ongoing commitment to Vision Zero,” which is outlined on their website as an effort to have zero traffic-related injuries and deaths by 2032.

“Playground zones are some of the most sensitive spaces in our transportation system, and they have always been—and will continue to be—a priority for the city,” Jessica Lamarre, Edmonton’s director of Safe Mobility, said in a news release on Wednesday.

She added that the city has invested more than $6-million in upgrades since 2019. These include new crossings, curb extensions, traffic calming and improved visibility measures. The injection of funds comes after assessing every elementary school in Edmonton—which totals more than 250 schools—for safety needs over the past ten years.

At the city announcement outside Michael Strembitsky School on Wednesday morning, Lamarre added that more than 175 safety improvements have been made in the past two years through the street labs program, which focuses on traffic calming measures. Enhanced infrastructure for walking and cycling around 10 schools and 14 speed humps and table installations were also added to help slow down drivers.

“These upgrades have helped make playground zones spaces that have some of the lowest rates of speeding and collisions in the city,” Lamarre said, adding that speeding is only one part of the safety challenge.

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According to Lamarre, the broader concerns include traffic flow, crossing safety and watching out for bad drivers in school zones.

“While automated enforcement is incredibly effective at reducing speeds, it doesn’t target this wider range of challenges,” she continued. “Reinvesting these funds allows us to respond more directly to what people are experiencing every day and to make playground zones safer in a more lasting, visible way.”

New restrictions under the provincial government’s Automated Traffic Enforcement Guideline - which limits where cities can use photo radar - was also a factor in the city’s decision.

The city said photo radar in playground zones was made possible with money from photo radar on Edmonton roadways like Anthony Henday Drive, Whitemud Drive and Yellowhead Trail.

Without this revenue, officials are adjusting their approach and “redirecting resources into physical upgrades and creative solutions that respond to the broader safety concerns.”

“Rather than scaling back our efforts, we’re choosing to adapt by stepping forward with a new approach that prioritizes long-term visible safety improvements in these important spaces,” Lamarre said.

She detailed two pilot projects that will also launch as part of the Vision Zero program. One will test the effectiveness of using flashing beacons and “bold pavement markings” at the entrance of school areas. The other will use physical blocking of illegal parking and stopping in areas near crosswalks. Findings from the two trials will help officials determine if these measures should be expanded to other parts of the city.

“(Playground zones) are among the safest areas in our city and we’re doubling down to make them even better,” Lamarre added.

The removal of photo radar enforcement in playground zones starts July 1. The city says the announcement will give communities time to adapt and prepare before the next school year.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson