Calgary 
Alberta is overhauling its photo radar program to prioritize traffic safety over revenue generation. Effective April 1, 2025, photo radar ticketing on numbered provincial highways will cease, limiting its use to school zones, playgrounds, and construction areas.
Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash
“This will end the photo radar cash cow in Alberta,” said Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors in a press statement.
“Photo radar will only be used to improve safety, not to make money.”
Last year, the top five revenue-generating photo radar sites in Alberta were led by Strathcona County’s Baseline Road and 17 Street, issuing 52,558 tickets—an average of 144 per day—and collecting $5,956,573 in fines.
In Edmonton, the intersection of Gateway Boulevard and 34 Avenue totalled 23,977 tickets and $2,717,393 in fines. Another Edmonton location at 170 Street and 118 Avenue issued 20,241 tickets (55 per day), amounting to $2,293,980 in fines. 127 Street and 126 Avenue issued 18,705 tickets (51 per day), resulting in $2,119,900 in fines.
Calgary’s Beddington Trail and Country Hills Boulevard generated 19,337 tickets (53 per day), with fines totaling $2,173,167.
Key changes include:
- Limiting Intersection Safety Devices: These will enforce red lights only, discontinuing ‘speed-on-green’ tickets to focus on hazardous red light violations rather than speed enforcement during green lights.
- Additional Photo Radar Sites: Municipalities can request additional sites in high-collision areas lacking effective alternative safety measures. Such sites will undergo audits every two years to ensure they reduce collisions.
- Review and Removal of Existing Sites: All current photo radar locations will be reviewed over the next four months. Ineffective sites or those outside designated zones will be removed, potentially reducing the 2,200 approved sites by 70%.
Per the news release, these adjustments aim to align Alberta’s photo radar use with other provinces, as it currently has about 70% more sites than the next highest province.
Through the news release, the provincial government says that these changes aim to restore public trust and ensure photo radar is used strictly to enhance road safety.
Photo radar was first introduced in Alberta in 1987. All photo radar sites on Calgary and Edmonton ring roads were removed on December 1, 2023.
The government consulted with municipalities in June and August 2024 to address concerns over “fishing holes,” where photo radar is perceived to generate revenue without enhancing safety.
