The City of Lloydminster has cut its approved photo radar locations in half.
The change comes to ensure compliance with new provincial regulations taking effect April 1.
The Alberta government restricted photo radar use to school, playground, and construction zones, ending ticketing on numbered highways and limiting intersection safety cameras to red-light violations. The changes aim to prioritize safety over revenue generation.
Read more: Alberta cuts photo radar
“This is great news for Alberta drivers,” said Devin Dreeshen, minister of transportation and economic corridors.
“These changes will once and for all kill the photo radar cash cow in Alberta. Albertans can be confident photo radar will only be used to improve traffic and roadside worker safety and not to make money.”
The City of Lloydminster learned about the changes in December 2024. They promptly adjusted the Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE) to comply with the updated rules.
“While resources allocated to ATE remain unchanged, the number of approved ATE sites has been reduced by 50 per cent,” stated city officials in an email.
“The City continues to review provincial requirements and procedures to determine whether the community would like to apply for new sites under the updated regulations.”
The latest numbers available from the city show administration lost $4,086 in 2023. They collected $359,890 in fines. Ticket values vary depending on speed, location, etc.
However, the province of Alberta kept $119,963 for administrative costs. Victim Services receives approximately 16 per cent of every ticket, equating to $59,982 in ’23. The city kept $179,945 in revenue. It cost $184,031 to administer the ATE program.
Furthermore, municipalities can request additional photo radar locations in high-collision areas with ineffective safety measures. However, authorities will audit these exceptions every two years to ensure they improve traffic safety.
Kara Westerlund, president of Rural Municipalities of Alberta, said the focus remains on high-risk roadways.
“The minister’s announcement will ensure the use of photo radar is focused on enhancing traffic safety on high-risk roadways,” said Westerlund.
“RMA looks forward to learning how current photo radar sites will be assessed and is optimistic this will result in an approach that supports safer roads without unfairly penalizing drivers.”
Meanwhile, Lloydminster’s ATE team and local police will continue prioritizing school and playground zone enforcement. Additionally, the city is also seeking public input on the use of photo radar.
Residents can share their opinions on automated traffic enforcement and community policing priorities at www.yourvoicelloyd.ca/policing.
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