Anybody else notice increased photo radar in Calgary??

[curves2000]

I have been living in Calgary my entire life and I have seen a huge increase in photo radar enforcement on the streets. Some of the new SUV's and trucks don't have the lights and the flash on the top of the roof anymore, they are on the front of the vehicle where is is not as noticeable.

On one of my regular drives into the Beltline off Bow Trail where you take 10th Ave ,turn right and than left onto 12th Avenue the speed limit is 30 km/h with a 50 km/h sign about 50 meters up. There is literally a photo radar vehicle there every single day and every time I drive by now. It's a tricky spot because your in between speed zones.

I follow the rules for the most part but with the amount of enforcement out there, it seems the city is very hungry for revenue.

[Amethyst]

Meh, if the city wants money, I'd rather they take it from those who voluntarily choose to speed rather than forcing everyone to pay more taxes.

[Fuzz]

I find it amusing to picture Spenshi sitting on his purple throne looking down on the chief of police and telling him he better set up some more photo radar traps because the city needs cash.

[gasman]

There is no such thing as "in between" speed zones. The 50 zone doesn't start till the sign.

I have no problem with photos radar it only affect people who are A. Speeding and B. Not paying enough attention to spot the photo radar truck.

Even with taking the flash to the front, they aren't that hard to pick out...

[Chingyul]

Originally Posted by gasman

There is no such thing as "in between" speed zones. The 50 zone doesn't start till the sign.

I have no problem with photos radar it only affect people who are A. Speeding and B. Not paying enough attention to spot the photo radar truck.

Even with taking the flash to the front, they aren't that hard to pick out...

I'm assuming it's 30 for a playground zone. I should go right back to 50 after the "End Playground Zone" sign, even if it's before the 50 sign.

[gasman]

Maybe, I'm not familiar with the specific place the op is talking about.

In the situation you refer to, you are correct assuming the speed limit prior to the school zone was 50, it would revert to 50 again at the end playground zone sign.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Chingyul

I'm assuming it's 30 for a playground zone. I should go right back to 50 after the "End Playground Zone" sign, even if it's before the 50 sign.

... yes.

Come on everyone we know how speed limits work in the city right!?

[Mass_nerder]

I would love to see more of it on Glenmore right now around the Blackfoot/deerfoot area. I'm tired if trying to drive close to the 50km/hr construction speed limit and having every person behind me riding my ass and speeding past me and giving me the finger like I'm the jerk. Let these dummies start getting some double tickets.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Since they went and combined school zones in to playground zones anyhow, I would like to see them near the school zones during the hours when kids are actually going to and from school. Actually, never mind the greasy creep in the weeds approach of sitting and taking a picture and sending it to you, but an actual officer standing outside the car and ticketing. But it’s not really primarily about safety, it’s primarily about the cash.

[Northendzone]

^ i hear what you are saying about this stretch, but, from what i have seen they are not working much during the week days. i also think it would be a bit of a tough spot to put a vehicle - although, i guess you could park right along side the new median.

i should also note that the unoffical speed limit along this stretch does seem to be 100. for a while there used to be photo radar parked on east bound glenmore in the area with the underpasses by chinook. have not seen one there lately.

i would say that generally speaking, i have not noticed more photo radar vehicle though.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

Meh, if the city wants money, I'd rather they take it from those who voluntarily choose to speed rather than forcing everyone to pay more taxes.

I'm the same way. Plain and simple, it's an idiot tax. If you get caught speeding, it's 100% your own fault. I easily blame the 'victim'.

My favourite argument against photo radar has got to be ''Photo radar doesn't make the roads safer. At least if they pull me over, then they can tell me what I did wrong and I learn from it!''. LOL such BS. I got a photo radar earlier this year and it was 100% my own fault. I don't need someone to pull me over to teach me a lesson.

As far as I'm concerned, let the city bring in more radar and keep catching the same people over and over again.

[GGG]

I think they should have to report each year about how areas targeted for enforcement led to reduced accident rates. If photo radar doesn't reduce accidents or consequences of accidents then it's useless.

[Fuzz]

Ya, there are clearly spots in the city they set it up just to get tickets. Like the 80km -110km westbound out of the city on the TCH. The only logical "safety" reason for that might be vehicles merging in from Valley Ridge. That's mostly from bad road design though, given it is an uphill the merge lane should continue all the way up the hill.


The whole section is built to freeway standards and an 80km speed limit there is ridiculous. I've driven through French villages with windy 2 lane roads where the speed limit is 90. Just more incompetence form the roads dept.

[Swayze11]

If some of you guys actually think an increase in speeding tickets are going to lower your taxes, I think you will be very disappointed.

[gt4flames]

Photo radar is a cash grab plain and simple. Drivers are going to speed and the city found way to cash in. Good for them. my issue is that they're justifying it saying its a safety measure to "catch' or deter more speeders on the roads. If it was an issue of safety then the police would be sitting with radar guns and issuing tickets that give demerits on your licence.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Ya, there are clearly spots in the city they set it up just to get tickets. Like the 80km -110km westbound out of the city on the TCH. The only logical "safety" reason for that might be vehicles merging in from Valley Ridge. That's mostly from bad road design though, given it is an uphill the merge lane should continue all the way up the hill.


The whole section is built to freeway standards and an 80km speed limit there is ridiculous. I've driven through French villages with windy 2 lane roads where the speed limit is 90. Just more incompetence form the roads dept.

I agree with everything you wrote, but the roads dept doesn't set speed limits, they just put the signs where they're told

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Since they went and combined school zones in to playground zones anyhow, I would like to see them near the school zones during the hours when kids are actually going to and from school. Actually, never mind the greasy creep in the weeds approach of sitting and taking a picture and sending it to you, but an actual officer standing outside the car and ticketing. But it’s not really primarily about safety, it’s primarily about the cash.

agreed police set up by a park that I am sure more people speed through however way less kid traffic rather than the school two blocks away that people also speed through and has a lot more kid traffic since the park is way better.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by gt4flames

Photo radar is a cash grab plain and simple. Drivers are going to speed and the city found way to cash in. Good for them. my issue is that they're justifying it saying its a safety measure to "catch' or deter more speeders on the roads. If it was an issue of safety then the police would be sitting with radar guns and issuing tickets that give demerits on your licence.

The only reason I don’t speed is because I can’t afford the ticket. How I get it or demerits are irrelevant.

Also with Photo radar you can probably get 10-15 cars in a 10 minute span, which is how long it takes to pull 1 car over and write a ticket.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by btimbit

I agree with everything you wrote, but the roads dept doesn't set speed limits, they just put the signs where they're told

Fair enough. Stupid road designer engineer dept can have the blame on that one.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

If I'm going 68 in a 50, fine, I messed up. Either I didn't see the sign or wasn't paying attention to my speed. Ticket completely warranted.

When I get a ticket for going 41 in a 30, I'm pretty annoyed. That doesn't have anything to do with public safety. It's just a cynical money grab, and that harms the relationship between the police and the public.