June 25, 2025
As the 2024 - 2025 school year comes to end, the City is evolving its approach to playground zone traffic safety.
Starting July 1, mobile photo radar will no longer be used in playground zones. The decision reflects the City’s ongoing commitment to Vision Zero and its long-standing use of data-informed, sustainable strategies to improve traffic safety.
“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,” said Jessica Lamarre, Director, Safe Mobility. “Since 2015, every elementary school in Edmonton has been assessed for safety needs, and since 2019, the City has invested over $6 million in upgrades like new crossings, traffic calming and visibility improvements. These upgrades have helped make playground zones spaces that have some of the lowest rates of speeding and collisions in the city.”
Until now, enforcement in playground zones was made possible through revenue generated by photo radar deployed on Edmonton’s high speed roadways. However, new restrictions under the Government of Alberta’s Automated Traffic Enforcement Guideline have significantly reduced where photo radar can be used. Without that broader revenue stream, continuing enforcement in areas with low rates of speeding is no longer financially sustainable.
Instead of scaling back efforts, the City is redirecting resources into physical upgrades and creative solutions that respond to the broader safety concerns regularly raised by students, families and school communities.
“Speeding is only one part of the challenge,” Lamarre said. “We routinely hear concerns about traffic flow, crossing safety and poor driver behaviour in playground zones from the public. While automated enforcement is incredibly effective at reducing speeds, it doesn’t target this wider range of challenges. 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.”
The change takes effect July 1, with the start of summer break. This timing gives the City time to share the new direction with school communities and prepare for the 2025 – 2026 school year.
The decision supports the City’s commitment to Vision Zero, the goal of eliminating traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries. By continuing to rely on data, community input and built-in safety improvements, Edmonton is taking another step forward in creating safer streets for everyone.
