Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE)

The City of Fort Saskatchewan was averaging 1 to 2 fatal collisions per year leading up to 2008. In 2007, the City lowered the Highway 21 and Highway 15 speed limit to 70 km/h in part to address the number and nature of collisions along the urban highway corridor.

By 2008, our rate of fatal and injury collisions stood at 3.989 per 1000 residents. In 2009, the City introduced our first two intersection safety devices at problem intersections. That year, the two intersection safety devices recorded an average of 14 red-light violations per week or 7 per week per intersection.

Between 2008 and 2015, the City added additional police and peace officers, and additional intersection safety devices at high collision locations or approaches to those locations. In 2015, the intersection safety devices recorded an average of 4 red-light violations per week across multiple sites and our rate of fatal and injury collisions decreased to 1.872 per 1000 residents, a 53% reduction. By 2022, there has been a 48% reduction in fatal and injury collisions, when compared to 2008.

• When compared to 2008, there has been a 48% reduction in fatal and injury collisions in 2022.
• Since 2018, there has been a 27% increase in fatal and injury collisions.
• The population of Fort Saskatchewan has increased 6.5% in the last 5 years.

Less than 1% of traffic through the ISD sites receive a speeding or red light violation.

The City of Fort Saskatchewan invests a portion of the revenue from Automated Traffic Enforcement back into Traffic Safety Initiatives. Both Protective Services and the City Engineering Department utilize a portion of the revenue to invest back into traffic safety initiatives.

Projected 2023 Automated Traffic Enforcement Revenue: $1,090,390

Protective Services Traffic Safety Initiative Funds: $85,000

Protective Services Traffic Safety Initiatives include:

• Traffic Safety Education through media campaigns Mix 107.9 radio station
• Bike Rodeo - youth education in bicycle safety
• Slow Down lawn sign campaign – 2023 initiative
• MES Officer Bike Patrol Program
• Traffic Safety Equipment

Fleet, Facilities and Engineering Department Traffic Safety Initiative Funds: $75,000

• Traffic Calming Infrastructure
• Pedestrian Flashing Beacon Lights

Enforcement Strategies include a combination of:

• conventional enforcement (officers stopping motorists to address a traffic safety violation or concern),
• photo-laser (hand-held devices that record a violation and result in the violating motorist receiving a ticket in the mail) and
• intersection safety device cameras (fixed camera sites that record speeding and/or red-light violations that result in the violating motorist receiving a ticket in the mail).

Our own experiences in Fort Saskatchewan and extensive traffic safety research has proven a combination of conventional and automated enforcement works best to achieve desired traffic safety outcomes.

Traffic safety is a community priority. Council supports and funds traffic safety through the annual budget process.

Municipal Enforcement Services and the RCMP receive annual funding to support traffic safety. Additionally, Council in 2017, funded a Protective Services Analyst who dedicates a portion of each week to collision and traffic analysis.

In 2018 and again in 2019, Council provided additional funding specifically allocated to traffic safety. In 2018, funds paid for:

•  enhanced high-visibility cross-walks that use solar power for day/night lighting,
• roadway redesign and re-engineering near schools,
• education sessions including youth-specific bicycle safety programs,
• pedestrian visibility initiatives and safety presentations for all of the K-6 grades,
• Option 4 Programs whereby directed enforcement of a priority safety issue provided some motorists the option to attend an education session in lieu of fine payment, and much more.

In 2018, City Council formally adopted Vision Zero as our traffic safety goal. Vision Zero to us means that no loss of life or serious injury arising from a collision is acceptable.

Traffic safety is a shared responsibility between motorists, pedestrians, road engineers and road-maintenance personnel, and the officers who enforce the rules of the road. This is why the City of Fort Saskatchewan utilizes a Safe System Approach to traffic safety. A Safe System Approach to traffic safety include elements of; Education, Engineering, Engagement, Enforcement and Evaluation (the 5 E’s), either individually or in combination.

Fort Saskatchewan analyzes collision data (time, date, location and cause), traffic data (type of vehicle, speeds and volumes), and sustained traffic safety complaints to determine if enforcement is required and where enforcement would best support Vision Zero. This approach to traffic safety ensures enforcement is conducted solely for traffic safety purposes.

The Alberta Justice and Solicitor General provides guidelines for automated enforcement use and evaluation requirements.

View the Automated Traffic Enforcement Guideline