With photo radar ending in select locations, Medicine Hat implementation driven by traffic calming policy. Valleysnow/Dreamstime.com

By Jayk Sterkenburg

INFRASTRUCTURE

Traffic calming implementation ‘project specific’, Medicine Hat says as photo radar reduced

Mar 31, 2025 | 12:47 PM

With Alberta’s government ending Automated Traffic Enforcement in select locations Tuesday, the City of Medicine Hat says traffic calming implementation will be project specific or will be driven by its traffic calming policy and procedure.

Alberta’s government launched a new $13 million Traffic Safety Fund for municipalities to upgrade local roads and intersections that pose demonstrated safety risks.

The new ATE Technology Guideline coming into effect will limit ATE jurisdiction to school, playground and construction zones in an effort to transition to alternative traffic calming measures.

Intersection safety devices will also be limited to red light enforcement only, eliminating “speed-on-green” ticketing.

The city said in a written statement Monday that traffic calming will be developed once the Transportation Master Plan and its associated strategy documents are finalized and approved.

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It said this is in relation to how its projects concern the its guiding documents and policies, and not necessarily how the city may plan to utilize the Traffic Safety Fund.

The $13 million will be provided over three years to help municipalities re-engineer intersections to reduce collisions, including $1 million in 2025-26, $2 million over 2026-27, and the final $10 million in 2027-28.

During the transition, the government encourages municipalities to use traffic calming measures instead of photo radar, but they may request provincial approval for an exemption to the photo radar ban in high-collision locations.

To apply for an exception, municipalities must submit a business case detailing collision frequency and severity at the site, relative to similar locations, and demonstrate how other safety measures aren’t feasible or would be ineffective.

A municipality must also commit to audit the site every two years to assess the effectiveness of photo radar in reducing the collisions.