Come April 1, 2025, Alberta is ending photo radar ticketing on all numbered provincial highways.
Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said far too often, photo radar penalizes drivers without improving safety.
The government also promises to review all the so-called “fishing holes,” with an aim to remove 70 per cent of the province’s existing 2,200 photo radar sites.
Photo radar will continue to be allowed in school zones, playground zones, and construction sites, but beyond these areas, local governments will have to submit their case.
At intersections equipped with cameras, running a red light could still net a driver a ticket, but speeding on a green light will not.
Alberta pushing forward with plan to reduce photo radar use
In 2019, the then-NDP government introduced a freeze on new locations and banned photo radar in transition zones: spots where the speed limit changes on highways.
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Photo radar was also banned on high-speed, multi-lane highways unless there was documented proof of safety concerns.
The freeze was then extended when in 2022, the UCP said no photo radar was allowed on residential roads with speed limits below 50 km/h. Keep in mind, many Edmonton streets are now 40 km/h.
Double dipping — issuing multiple tickets within five minutes — was also banned. Photo radar vehicles now also have to be highly visible.
Cities couldn’t run photo radar in construction zones except when construction workers were present and it was only allowed in school zones when classes were in session.
Municipalities were also obligated to provide data on collisions and safety to justify why they are running photo radar at certain locations.
A year ago, Dreeshen said photo radar is being used as a cash cow in some places across Alberta.
Alberta banning photo radar on Edmonton and Calgary ring roads
At that time, the province banned the use of the enforcement tool on Calgary and Edmonton’s ring roads (Stoney Trail and Anthony Henday Drive) and said it would spend the following year removing spots where there is no clear safety reason for photo radar and it’s only being done to collect money.
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Before the ban, Calgary’s ring road had eight photo radar sites and Edmonton’s ring road had 22.
Red light intersection cameras were left out of the review process because they have been proven to prevent T-bones and similar collisions that lead to serious injuries or death.
Edmonton and Calgary were given the option to redeploy the photo radar units previously used on ring roads to areas in the cities where they have a safety impact — in school, playground and construction zones.
A cap on any new photo radar equipment, programs or new photo radar locations was extended to Dec. 1, 2024 while the province consulted with municipalities.
Alberta’s first photo radar units were introduced in 1987 and as of last fall, there were about 2,387 photo radar sites across the province.
Photo radar generated $171 million across Alberta in 2022-23, the province said. The revenue is split between the province and municipalities, with the province receiving 40 per cent and municipalities receiving 60 per cent.
Photo radar tickets in Calgary significantly down following provincial changes
