All the traffic cameras are gone from Fort Saskatchewan highway corridor, as Fort Saskatchewan adjusts to new Alberta rules.

Even mobile laser camera enforcement is now no longer used on provincial highways, RCMP Inspector Barry LaRocque announced this week during a public meeting on policing priorities in Fort Saskatchewan Wednesday, Feb. 26.

Even red light camera are no longer allowed on provincial highways, and have been removed everywhere in Fort Saskatchewan except the 99 Avenue/95 Street intersection, LaRocque explained.

Photo radar enforcement of any kind is now allowed only in school and playground zones, he added.

The changes were announced last fall, but details of the new rules were only recently made available.

Speed limits will still be enforced on local highways and streets, LaRocque added. “We’ll do our best to slow them down,” he said.

Fort Saskatchewan’s Municipal Enforcement department has also added new mobile photo enforcement zones at several school and playground locations.

New photo traffic enforcement locations include Win Ferguson/St. John XXIII, Rudolph Hennig, Ecole Park/OLA, Southpointe School, Ken Hodgins Park and Forest Ridge Park.

The end of traffic camera ticket revenue will have a significant impact on local taxes. These cameras brought in about $1.5 million annually for the City of Fort Saskatchewan. Even the current budget calls for $1 million in revenue from this area, despite anticipating some loss due to the new rules.

Mobile photo traffic enforcement has been used in Fort Saskatchewan since 2003. Automatic cameras have been used on Fort Saskatchewan’s highway corridor since 2009. The one camera at 101 Street and Highway 15 resulted in $1.3 million in income for the City of Fort Saskatchewan that year.

Photo traffic enforcement income reached a high of about $4 million shortly thereafter.

Income later dropped due to a greater share going to the provincial government and varied new rules and restrictions reducing the number of tickets issued.

Fort Saskatchewan also saw a marked decrease in fatal auto crashes during this period. Starting at a rate of 4.0 fatal and injury crashes per 1000 residents in 2008, that rate dropped to 22 crashes per 1000 residents by 2016.