EDMONTON – Photo radar will remain a traffic enforcement tool in the town of Morinville.
By a vote of 654 to 525, Morinville residents voted in favour of keeping the photo enforcement program, which was implemented in Morinville in 2009.
Since then, over 27,000 speeding violations have been issued.
But some residents thought the way the traffic tool was being used in Morinville was a cash grab, prompting a petition to be brought to town council.
“People have questions about locations where it’s operated from, the number of hours that we spend in places like school zones – should we be operating in neighbourhoods and playground zones?” said Morinville Mayor Lisa Holmes.
The petition pushed a plebiscite vote, asking residents whether or not to keep photo radar on Morinville streets.
A total of 1,179 residents cast a ballot, with 55 per cent of them voting to keep photo radar.
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“I did expect it to be close,” said Holmes, adding she was pleased with the number of people who showed up to vote.
Watch above:: The cost of the plebiscite, though, wasn’t cheap. Kendra Slugoski reports.
While the program will remain in place, Holmes says the town has heard the concerns of residents loud and clear, and the photo enforcement program will not continue to run in its current form.
“We will direct the traffic advisory committee and administration to start looking at some recommendations on how to use the current traffic enforcement program and what changes that we can make according to what we’ve heard.
“Our council is definitely committed to change and the photo radar program is not going to look the same,” she said. “We’re definitely going to be making changes.”
Photo radar brings in about $300,000 per year in Morinville.
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