Photo Radar going bye bye in Alberta??

Wow! Just saw this article. Alberta government giving Municipalities 1 year to show data that proves photo radar improves safety, or they have to kill it.

On one hand it's exciting to know that this is a slam dunk and photo radar will be gone since it has never contributed to safety. As anyone who has read the statistics knows, speed is not a causal factor in virtually any accidents as it is, and even if it was, getting a ticket 3 weeks later doesn't really help anything.

However, I am wondering how the government plans to analyze the data and confirm accuracy? Edmonton already has a bunch of anecdotal garbage data to try and say PR works. For example, the 23ave intersection at Gateway Blvd, was responsible for a huge percentage of accidents. The city re-engineered the entire intersection and created an overpass, so naturally those accidents disappeared from the accident data the following year. The city tried to associate the decrease in overall accidents to Photo Radar.

Anyway, here is the article. Feel free to discuss.

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/pol...-than-cash-cow

My first thought is more taxes in other areas opposed to people paying their convenience fee to make up lost revenue. Would be great to see though.

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Originally Posted by Misterman

Wow! Just saw this article. Alberta government giving Municipalities 1 year to show data that proves photo radar improves safety, or they have to kill it.

On one hand it's exciting to know that this is a slam dunk and photo radar will be gone since it has never contributed to safety. As anyone who has read the statistics knows, speed is not a causal factor in virtually any accidents as it is, and even if it was, getting a ticket 3 weeks later doesn't really help anything.

However, I am wondering how the government plans to analyze the data and confirm accuracy? Edmonton already has a bunch of anecdotal garbage data to try and say PR works. For example, the 23ave intersection at Gateway Blvd, was responsible for a huge percentage of accidents. The city re-engineered the entire intersection and created an overpass, so naturally those accidents disappeared from the accident data the following year. The city tried to associate the decrease in overall accidents to Photo Radar.

Anyway, here is the article. Feel free to discuss.

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/pol...-than-cash-cow

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They aren't killing it.. It even says that in the article.

What they are doing is imposing much stricter rules and policies on it and that is heavily needed. Basically if its not increasing safety they will have it removed from said location.

They can still setup in other areas though.

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Originally Posted by firebane

They aren't killing it.. It even says that in the article.

What they are doing is imposing much stricter rules and policies on it and that is heavily needed. Basically if its not increasing safety they will have it removed from said location.

They can still setup in other areas though.

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If it doesn't increase safety in ANY area, then it would be killed would it not? Seems like the best they could do is attack it from an argumentative standpoint instead of a factual one, and find a way to keep it in school zones perhaps. Aside from that I don't see how it could exist anymore if they have to actually prove it is increasing safety.

EDIT- Just re-read this to be sure. The article actually does state that PR can be killed all together. They made mention of it a few times, with specific quotes given by the transport minister.

The need to reword with ISC-specific language (ie. stationary camera?).

MOBILE photo radar = pure revenue, zero safety - ie flashing speeders in a construction zone after hours when no one is working.

However, the CPS traffic should keep one or two units around for enforcement requests from the public, so that they dont need to send a traffic member to stand around in an empty res area.

ISCs have been proven to reduce the more dangerous right-angle collisions. They also have warning signs at each intersection.

I pay attention to these signs and I DO slow down in these intersections to less than 10 over.

You won't find a Municipal Police Service that doesn't stand on its fucking head screaming safety as their justification for this sham, it'll be interesting to see what happens. AND to see where they'll steal the funding from next if that actually does get cracked down on.

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Originally Posted by JRSC00LUDE

You won't find a Municipal Police Service that doesn't stand on its fucking head screaming safety as their justification for this sham, it'll be interesting to see what happens. AND to see where they'll steal the funding from next if that actually does get cracked down on.

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well the cops get the same funding either way. The city will just raise property taxes (more).

The city has all kinds of BS studies that show their pure revenue generating platforms improve safety, and the people they show it to gobble it up - how is it different this time?

Well if they do see this through (which is doubtful) the lowering of the un-posted speed limit will be much tougher to enforce. Druh will love that!

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Originally Posted by ExtraSlow

well the cops get the same funding either way. The city will just raise property taxes (more).

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This what I figure as well. But at least a property tax hike is charging everyone without discrimination for the revenue the city needs/wants. So it's a lot more fair.

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Originally Posted by jdmXSI

My first thought is more taxes in other areas opposed to people paying their convenience fee to make up lost revenue. Would be great to see though.

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exactly, i am all for photo radar, its just a tax on the stupid, you can see those things from a mile away

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Originally Posted by Thaco

exactly, i am all for photo radar, its just a tax on the stupid, you can see those things from a mile away

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Not in #IvesonsEdminton. Cops sitting on Home Depot buckets sniping with handheld Dragon Eye cameras from overpasses, City of Edmonton Prius cars sniping from normal car parking spots and shit mounted in utility pedestals. The more expensive and untraceable, the better.
All about safety!!!!

So in Calgary, we spent 2.7M hours on photo radar to generate $38M...nice.

Photo Radar is fine. Nothing wrong with it. It generates revenue for people breaking the law.

The problem I have with it, is using it under the guise of safety. It doesn't improve safety. It doesn't stop someone from speeding through a school zone and hitting a kid 100m past the photo radar vehicle, it's just a point of sale transaction, and for that reason, i am against it.

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Originally Posted by Mitsu3000gt

The city has all kinds of BS studies that show their pure revenue generating platforms improve safety, and the people they show it to gobble it up - how is it different this time?

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My thoughts exactly.

Election year?

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Originally Posted by Sugarphreak

They have been abusing it pretty badly in Edmonton. Not really a surprise that it became a political issue.

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This.

The whole thing is political and aimed at Edmontonians. We have it fucking easy here with photo radar. Anyone can simply not get tickets by just looking. Photo radar is absolutely fucked up in Edmonton as a cash cow. The effort they go through to hide the vehicles in impressive, and it's always in speed transitions.

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Originally Posted by ThePenIsMightier

Not in #IvesonsEdminton. Cops sitting on Home Depot buckets sniping with handheld Dragon Eye cameras from overpasses, City of Edmonton Prius cars sniping from normal car parking spots and shit mounted in utility pedestals. The more expensive and untraceable, the better.
All about safety!!!!

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By far, the most dangerous application of photo radar I have ever witnessed is the 50th street and 23rd ave intersection in Millhoods.

The lights are lightning fast, even at the speed limit, there is a point of no return where you either slam on your brakes and get rear ended or get a speeding/red light ticket.

One of the few lights that dont have the seconds countdown on the crosswalk. Fucking ASSHOLES. No further proof needed that its not about safety as that intersection is so dangerous with everyone slamming their brakes.

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Originally Posted by HiTempguy1

By far, the most dangerous application of photo radar I have ever witnessed is the 50th street and 23rd ave intersection in Millhoods.

The lights are lightning fast, even at the speed limit, there is a point of no return where you either slam on your brakes and get rear ended or get a speeding/red light ticket.

One of the few lights that dont have the seconds countdown on the crosswalk. Fucking ASSHOLES. No further proof needed that its not about safety as that intersection is so dangerous with everyone slamming their brakes.

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It's amazing greed. You can hit two between 83rd Street and 109 Street on Whyte Avenue. "Thanks for a pair of tickets on my way to University as a broke-ass student trying to improve my life!"
That truck tucked behind the sign near Wilson's Auto Tech. The Prius in the pullover zone on Groat Road and whatever voodoo they use on 91 Street near the Henday. I think that is using a satellite from space. I don't know where they hide them there. Well, I know two spots but I'm sure there are more.
When your Mayor is a self righteous bicycle riding dildo, you get your bike lanes plowed FIRST and crippling photo radar.