Latest news with #photoRadar
CTV News
11-07-2025
- CTV News
Lethbridge police warn of text scam over phony photo radar tickets
A sign on Lethbridge Police Service headquarters is pictured in Lethbridge, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh) Lethbridge police are warning the public about an increase in photo radar scams trying to trick victims into sharing personal information. Officials say they've received multiple reports from citizens who've gotten unsolicited messages from users identifying themselves as Alberta Drive Safe and Safe Roads Alberta. The scammers are also trying to impersonate the City of Lethbridge in the texts. In the messages, police say victims are told they have an unpaid photo radar ticket and must click on a link within the text to resolve the issue. Authorities say these messages are fraudulent and you should not respond to them or click any links in the texts. Police said all traffic fines handed out are associated with the registered owner of the vehicle and photo radar tickets are usually mailed out promptly. If no payment is received, the fine is levied against the vehicle's registration. 'Government agencies will not send out text messages with links requesting information or payment,' the LPS said in a news release. 'If you receive an unsolicited text or email with a link attached, never click the link.' Lethbridge police warn of text scam over phony photo radar tickets A scam text message is making the rounds, warning Alberta drivers that if they don't pay traffic tickets by clicking a link, they could face serious penalties. Police advise anyone who received a text message like this to delete them right away. If you are concerned about any unpaid traffic fines, you should contact your local authority or registry to verify any concerns.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Edmonton to pull photo radar from school and playground zones this summer
The City of Edmonton is planning to scrap mobile photo radar in all school and playground zones because it's not generating enough revenue. The city said it will instead redirect resources into upgrades like more crosswalks and speed bumps. The province announced in December it would be banning photo radar on all provincial highways and connectors, restricting photo radar use to school, playground and construction zones. It would also no longer allow speed-on-green cameras at intersections. The change came into effect in April. According to Edmonton's director of safe mobility, Jessica Lamarre, the photo radar in school and playground zones was subsidized by revenue from photo radar on arterial roads, such as Anthony Henday Drive and Yellowhead Trail. "Playground zones have become some of the most safest spots on our street," she said at a news conference Wednesday. "They have high speed compliance, and they have low crash volumes and severities." Since 2019, the city has invested more than $6 million into playground zone upgrades, according to Lamarre. "Rather than scaling back our efforts, we're choosing to adapt by stepping forward with a new approach that prioritizes long-term visible safety improvements in these important spaces," said Lamarre. In a statement, Minister of Transportation Devin Dreeshen says he's encouraged to see municipalities taking a new approach to improve traffic safety. Debbie Hammond, the executive director of the Safer Roads Alliance, a non-profit organization in Edmonton, doesn't support the move. "I think this is a double whammy because I didn't expect Edmonton of all places, all cities, to pull this technology," she said. "They were the city in this province and probably in Canada that were really at the forefront of road safety and leveraging data to keep our roads safe. So it's a sad day for Edmontonians and Albertans to know that this technology is actually being removed." While she notes that collisions in school and playground zones are low, she said much of that work is because of the presence of photo radar. WATCH | EPS warning drivers to slow down: "We wouldn't have that technology there in those neighbourhoods if it wasn't needed," Hammond said. "There are drivers, I see it in my neighbourhood all the time. They don't slow down and with little people running on and off the roads, I think it's probably not the best decision to be doing that." The city said the decision would bring Edmonton closer to its Vision Zero goal, to achieve a road system with zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Edmonton was one of the first cities in Canada to implement such a plan. For Brandon Kwong, board chair of the advocacy group Paths for People, the goal is to get to a place where fewer photo radar sites are needed. However, that requires sufficient infrastructure and road designs that ensure drivers won't speed. Kwong said the city isn't quite there yet. "Ultimately, I think we see safer infrastructure and roadway designs as being the best ultimate solution to encouraging better driver and roadway behaviour," he said. "But we know that that will take a long time to roll out … and in the meantime, we're seeing a lot … in terms of traffic violence." Lamarre said the city will continue to prioritize road safety in playground zones. "We've heard loud and clear from families and from school communities that the challenges they're facing in playground zones go far beyond speeding," she said "People are worried about unsafe crossings, aggressive driving, illegal parking and U-turns and chaotic drop-offs and pick-ups that can sometimes put kids at risk." Photo radar will be pulled from all school and playground zones in the city starting July 1.
CBC
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Edmonton to pull photo radar from school and playground zones this summer
The City of Edmonton is planning to scrap mobile photo radar in all school and playground zones because it's not generating enough revenue. The city said it will instead redirect resources into upgrades like more crosswalks and speed bumps. The province announced in December it would be banning photo radar on all provincial highways and connectors, restricting photo radar use to school, playground and construction zones. It would also no longer allow speed-on-green cameras at intersections. The change came into effect in April. According to Edmonton's director of safe mobility, Jessica Lamarre, the photo radar in school and playground zones was subsidized by revenue from photo radar on arterial roads, such as Anthony Henday Drive and Yellowhead Trail. "Playground zones have become some of the most safest spots on our street," she said at a news conference Wednesday. "They have high speed compliance, and they have low crash volumes and severities." Since 2019, the city has invested more than $6 million into playground zone upgrades, according to Lamarre. "Rather than scaling back our efforts, we're choosing to adapt by stepping forward with a new approach that prioritizes long-term visible safety improvements in these important spaces," said Lamarre. In a statement, Minister of Transportation Devin Dreeshen says he's encouraged to see municipalities taking a new approach to improve traffic safety. 'Double whammy' Debbie Hammond, the executive director of the Safer Roads Alliance, a non-profit organization in Edmonton, doesn't support the move. "I think this is a double whammy because I didn't expect Edmonton of all places, all cities, to pull this technology," she said. "They were the city in this province and probably in Canada that were really at the forefront of road safety and leveraging data to keep our roads safe. So it's a sad day for Edmontonians and Albertans to know that this technology is actually being removed." While she notes that collisions in school and playground zones are low, she said much of that work is because of the presence of photo radar. WATCH | EPS warning drivers to slow down: How EPS is managing traffic safety after the province cut photo radar 21 days ago Duration 1:45 "We wouldn't have that technology there in those neighbourhoods if it wasn't needed," Hammond said. "There are drivers, I see it in my neighbourhood all the time. They don't slow down and with little people running on and off the roads, I think it's probably not the best decision to be doing that." Vision Zero The city said the decision would bring Edmonton closer to its Vision Zero goal, to achieve a road system with zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Edmonton was one of the first cities in Canada to implement such a plan. For Brandon Kwong, board chair of the advocacy group Paths for People, the goal is to get to a place where fewer photo radar sites are needed. However, that requires sufficient infrastructure and road designs that ensure drivers won't speed. Kwong said the city isn't quite there yet. "Ultimately, I think we see safer infrastructure and roadway designs as being the best ultimate solution to encouraging better driver and roadway behaviour," he said. "But we know that that will take a long time to roll out … and in the meantime, we're seeing a lot … in terms of traffic violence." Lamarre said the city will continue to prioritize road safety in playground zones. "We've heard loud and clear from families and from school communities that the challenges they're facing in playground zones go far beyond speeding," she said "People are worried about unsafe crossings, aggressive driving, illegal parking and U-turns and chaotic drop-offs and pick-ups that can sometimes put kids at risk." Photo radar will be pulled from all school and playground zones in the city starting July 1.
CTV News
25-06-2025
- CTV News
No more photo radar in playground zones, city to focus on other safety measures
The City of Edmonton is removing photo radar enforcement in playground zones next month as the school year winds down and many students begin summer break. Edmonton officials say the decision aligns with their 'ongoing commitment to Vision Zero,' which is outlined on their website as an effort to have zero traffic-related injuries and deaths by 2032. 'Playground zones are some of the most sensitive spaces in our transportation system, and they have always been - and will continue to be - a priority for the city,' Jessica Lamarre, Edmonton's director of Safe Mobility, said in a news release on Wednesday. She added that the city has invested more than $6-million in upgrades like new crossings and improved visibility measures since 2019. The injection of funds comes after assessing every elementary school in Edmonton for safety needs over the past ten years. 'These upgrades have helped make playground zones spaces that have some of the lowest rates of speeding and collisions in the city,' Lamarre said, adding that speeding is only one part of the safety challenge. According to Lamarre, the broader concerns include traffic flow, crossing safety and watching out for bad drivers in school zones. 'While automated enforcement is incredibly effective at reducing speeds, it doesn't target this wider range of challenges,' she continued. 'Reinvesting these funds allows us to respond more directly to what people are experiencing every day and to make playground zones safer in a more lasting, visible way.' New restrictions under the provincial government's Automated Traffic Enforcement Guideline - which limits where cities can use photo radar - was also a factor in the city's decision. The city said photo radar in playground zones was made possible with money from photo radar on Edmonton roadways like Anthony Henday Drive, Whitemud Drive, and Yellowhead Trail. Without this revenue, officials are adjusting their approach and 'redirecting resources into physical upgrades and creative solutions that respond to the broader safety concerns' from the school communities. The removal of photo radar enforcement in playground zones starts July 1. The city says the announcement will give communities time to adapt and prepare before the next school year.
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Ottawa sees drop in speeders caught by photo radar cameras in April
Motorists continued to slow down around photo radar cameras on Ottawa's roads this spring, as the number of tickets issued for speeding dropped for a third straight month. Statistics from the City of Ottawa show 30,191 speeding tickets were issued through the automated speed enforcement camera program in April, down from 37,285 speed tickets issued in April 2024. A total of 30,364 speeding tickets were issued by Ottawa's 60 photo radar cameras in March, down from 43,416 tickets in March 2024. The automated speed enforcement program issued 19,582 speeding tickets in February, down from 22,861 speeding tickets the year before. The statistics don't provide an explanation for the drop in photo radar camera tickets issued on Ottawa roads this year. T The first quarter financial report showed there is a $1.5 million deficit in the Traffic Services department through the first three months of the year 'primarily due' to the automated speed enforcement program. 'Revenues for the period were lower-than-anticipated as a result of inclement weather and changes in driver behaviour,' staff said. 'Any surplus or deficit in the automated speed enforcement program at year-end will be offset in the Road Safety Reserve.' One issue may be hidden, damaged or missing licence plates on vehicles caught by the cameras. Statistics provided to CTV News Ottawa show 15,480 vehicles with damaged, obstructed or missing licence plates were captured by Ottawa's automated speed enforcement cameras in the first three months of this year, meaning tickets could not be issued. The photo radar camera on King Edward Avenue, between Bolton Street and St. Patrick Street, was the busiest camera in April, catching 3,543 speeders. A total of 1,877 tickets were issued through the photo radar camera at Walkley Road, between Halifax Drive and Harding Road, while the camera on Colonial Road, between Delson Drive and Frank Kenny Road, caught 1,594 speeders in April. The City of Ottawa says 111,281 speeding tickets were issued through the photo radar program in the first four months of 2025, down from 123,196 tickets in the first four months of 2024. The City of Ottawa has 60 photo radar cameras in operation in school zones, community safety zones and high-speed zones across the city. There are plans to install 24 new photo radar cameras on roads across the city in 2025. Revenue collected through the automated speed enforcement camera program supports Ottawa's Road Safety Action Plan and is reinvested into road safety initiatives for all road users. Here is a look at the 10 busiest photo radar cameras in Ottawa in April
