Photo radar doesn’t work

Editor:

Privatized photo radar doesn’t work. But permanently mounted speed display boards in key locations would, especially if combined with automated photo radar.

Privatized photo radar doesn’t work, because the interests of the contractor are not aligned with our community’s needs. The contractor naturally wants to maximize his revenue, while the community wants you to reduce your speed.

The contractor needs us to continue to speed; the community, to slow down. These two priorities are opposed to each other.

That being the case, the contractor doesn’t want you to know you’re driving into a radar trap, because if you did, you’d slow down. If you slow down, the community’s goal has been met, but the contractor makes less money.

In contrast, according to a study by

www.usroads.com, permanently mounted speed display boards (like at the Banff park gates) have been shown to be the most effective in reducing speed.

Privatized photo radar in Canmore needs to be replaced by speed display boards and occasional ticket reinforcement by permanently-mounted, automated systems.

In the www.usroads.com study, the cost of an enforced speed display board was only $91.79 per deployment. This is in stark contrast to the tens of thousands of dollars already paid to Global Traffic Inc. (More info at: http://www.usroads.com/journals/p/rilj/9805/ri980504.htm).

Would speed display boards cover all of Canmore? No, of course not. But all of Canmore isn’t being covered anyway. The radar contractor covers the same 10-or-so locations every month: Bow Valley Trail, Seventh Ave., Eighth Ave., Three Sisters Parkway, Fifth Ave., Moraine Road, Bow Valley Trail, Cougar Creek Drive, Bridge Road, Elk Run Blvd. and Benchlands Trail. (More info at: http://www.canmore.ca/News-and-Publications/Latest-News/Photo-enforcement-locations-February-2010.html)

But if the Town of Canmore should decide to continue with its privatized, ineffective and offensive method of speed control with Global Traffic Inc., well, then there’s a short-term solution:

Sign up for real-time, text message radar warnings at www.canmoreradar.com. It’s free.

Scott Semple,

Canmore