City’s red light cameras not yet in operation Paperwork to blame for hold up
By Paul Grigaitis
Record Staff Friday August 15, 2008
This red light camera, lower left, located at the Highway 15 and 101st Street intersection should be ready to snap photos of violators by the end of next month.
Paul Grigaitis/Fort Record
Two new red light cameras in Fort Saskatchewan have been installed and will be operating by month’s end, the city hopes.
The cameras were installed last week at the Highways 15 and 21 intersection as well as the intersection of Highway 15 and 101st Street.
They were initially expected to be installed by mid-July.
The city’s fire chief and director of protective services Brian Parker said they won’t be operational until staff are trained on how to use the cameras and some red tape is finalized with the province.
Training shouldn’t take more than a day or so, Parker added.
He’s more concerned about finalizing an agreement with the province’s registry department.
Because Alberta Registries handles all information required of the province’s registered vehicle owners, the city must enter into an agreement with the provincial department for use of that information, Parker said.
“We can’t go ahead until we get that agreement in place,” he explained.
Parker stated he hasn’t seen the paperwork from the province yet and could not say what the agreement entails.
He wasn’t sure when the paperwork would arrive, but said it could delay the start-up of the cameras.
“I don’t think there’s a reason why we should be too much later than September,” Parker said.
City council approved the $200,000 cost of the cameras in this year’s budget.
Parker estimates the cameras will generate $20,000 in revenue more than it cost during their first year of operation, but he said he would feel just fine if they generated no money at all.
“If we get nothing that means people are not going through red lights and that’s a good sign,” said Parker.
The cameras are intended to slow drivers down and reduce the number of collisions.
A year ago, council voted to reduce the speed on the highway from 70 km/h.
Then in late November 2007, the newly elected council revisited the decision and again supported the reduction. The speed was lowered officially Dec. 1 last year.
“It’s not about the revenue. All were trying to do is change the attitudes of the driver,” Parker said.
The two intersections where the cameras are located are the two busiest highway intersections in the city. There were in excess of 50 accidents at both locations combined last year, Parker said.
Parker said as new intersections are built within the city, the infrastructure will include mounts for red light cameras. That way the city’s two red light cameras can be moved from intersection to intersection based on need, he added.
pgrigaitis@bowesnet.com
Proprietor and published by Sun Media Corporation - A Quebecor Media Company at 155, 10420 - 98 Avenue, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada T8L 2N6
