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Leduc mayor wants photo radar on QE2

Leduc mayor wants photo radar on QE2

Leduc's Mayor wants to use photo radar to nab those who drive with a lead foot through his city on the Queen Elizabeth Highway.

Greg Krischke says the city is interested in launching a pilot project which would see roving speed traps stationed on the highway within city limits between the Edmonton International Airport interchange and the weigh scale station, south of the city.

"We've identified a big problem. That problem is excessive speed," said Krischke during a Friday morning interview on CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.

A study, commissioned by Alberta Transportation in 2015, determined that more than 100,000 vehicles are travelling through the community each year at speeds 30 km/h over 110km/h posted speed limit.

Krischke says speeders are creating a hazard for their fellow drivers, and the city's emergency personnel.

Between 2010 and 2015, Leduc emergency responders went to 171 motor vehicle collisions on the highway.

"We're putting first responders lives at risk every time that they have to go out on that highway," he said.

"There is a lot of danger out there."

Krischke concedes that there will likely be some pushback from drivers, but he has little patience for the critics. He says arguments which suggest photo radar is little more than a money grab are "weak."

"We put all of our additional revenue that comes in from photo enforcement, over and above traditional fine levels, into safety measures.

"I don't like the words 'cash cow.' If you don't speed, you don't get a ticket."

The city has requested permission from the Alberta Highways and Solicitor General to launch the project.

If approved, the pilot project would run for two years, starting with a public awareness campaign alerting drivers about the change in enforcement.

Krischke says warnings would be issued for several weeks before the ticketing would begin.

"A long time ago, the province said they would prefer not to have photo radar on the major highways, however in Edmonton and Calgary on the major highways, there is photo radar and it has slowed people down," said Krischke.

"We're hoping that in the next couple of months they will make a decision for us.

"We have to do something here. "