EDITOR’S NOTE: The city first told Global News the total number of tickets was 1,879 but later clarified to say the total was 856. The article has since been updated to reflect the new information.
Nearly 1,000 drivers have been nabbed by photo radar in Edmonton junior high school zones in the past two months. City officials say there were a total of 1,023 violations and 856 tickets handed out in September and October. In some cases, tickets are not issued due to the illegibility of a license plate.
New speed limits came into effect in September after the city voted in favour of expanding school zone speed limits of 30 km/h to include junior high schools.
Previously, 30 km/h school zones were only in place surrounding schools with kids from kindergarten to Grade 6.
READ MORE: School zone speed limits around Edmonton elementary and junior highs start Tuesday
The city started installing school zone signs at junior high schools in April. Gary Dyck, with the city’s traffic safety department, said some of the junior high schools have elementary schools attached so they are not new to the lower speed limit.
In September, Edmonton city councillors also voted in favour of a 30 km/h speed limit in playground zones.
READ MORE: 30 km/h speed limits coming to Edmonton playgrounds
The city has not yet begun using photo radar in playground zones. Dyck said one of the pillars of Vision Zero, a long-term goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries, is public education and the city has given drivers some time to get used to the new speed limits.
However, Dyck said the Edmonton Police Service can enforce the speed limit from the moment the signs are posted.
Elementary and junior high school 30 km/h zones are in effect from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on school days. Playground zones are in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
Process for setting up enforcement in new zones:
- Playground zone signs are posted
- Sites are assessed for possible enforcement
- Edmonton Police Service reviews and approves the sites
- Sites are monitored (for up to a month) for compliance to the speed limit to determine if enforcement is required
- Automated enforcement begins
Source: Vision Zero
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