In the battle against bad driving habits, 20 more safety cameras are coming to city intersections this year.
“It’s part of our ongoing commitment to Vision Zero,” explained Gerry Shimko with the City of Edmonton Traffic Safety Section.
Vision Zero was approved by the city in 2015. The goal is an ambitious one: it calls for no fatalities or serious injuries on city roads by 2032. The cameras are seen as a tool in that goal.
“We’ve had an independent review done by the University of Alberta that’s showing we’re actually getting very positive results.”
Still, when it comes to the cameras, people remain divided on their use.
Oliver resident Ed Juneau, however, sees things differently.
“I see infractions all the time — people running reds where there is no camera and they should be caught because they’re taking people’s lives into their own hands.”
There are already 50 traffic cameras in place across Edmonton. The plan is to install 20 more this year.
“We’re going through a process of replacing our previous equipment as well as adding 20 new sites this year,” Shimko said.
Once the cameras are activated, the locations will be listed on the city’s website.
The cost for the equipment and installation will range between $100,000 and $150,000, depending on location and type of equipment used.
The funding comes from traffic fines collected through the enforcement program.