Speeding, noise pollution targeted by Calgary's new traffic safety team
Team will consist of eight peace officers and two sergeants
Speeding and noise pollution in residential areas will be more closely monitored by a new initiative that the city launched on Thursday.
Calgary's new traffic safety team is a 12-month pilot program focused on enforcing speed limits in playground zones, tackling noisy vehicle violations and spreading traffic safety education.
Approved by city council in November 2023, the team includes eight peace officers and two sergeants, building on work already being done by the Calgary Police Service.
The team's spokesperson, community safety inspector Brad Johnson, said its primary focus initially will be monitoring playground zones.
"Adding resources that we're going to bring to the table with peace officers helps in these areas of high sensitivity. We're talking about playground zones, we're talking about in front of schools. Our concern is safety for people utilizing those spaces," Johnson told CBC Radio's The Homestretch on Thursday.
LISTEN | Bradley Johnson on the new traffic safety team:
Johnson said the team will use information gathered from traffic incidents to identify areas around Calgary where they find a high volume of traffic safety concerns.
Launching on Thursday, Johnson said the team is expected to hit the streets at the start of April to work with CPS and Calgary 911 on traffic enforcement.
Johnson added the team's launch is timely because the population boom in Calgary has led to more drivers, pedestrians and cyclists using the city's roads.
In high-complaint areas, the city said the public can expect to see increased enforcement efforts. The work will be coupled with public awareness campaigns rolling out ahead of stricter bylaw enforcement so residents understand what to expect from the program.
Andy Woodward, the acting inspector for CPS's traffic section, said on Thursday the new team won't replace existing CPS traffic units, but will instead work with them to alleviate some of the pressure of their work. He expressed optimism about the new pilot program's usefulness.
"I'm pretty confident this is going to succeed, and I would think in 12 months time we'll be looking at saying can we expand it, and if we can expand it we will do so," Woodward said.
Michelle Perrault is one Calgary resident who said the new effort is welcomed, arguing any time more monitoring is done on speeding, it's useful to the community they're deployed into.
"I think people will be more attentive to slow down, watch out," Perrault said.
But some residents in Calgary aren't as confident. Sarah Young-Fleming said she's previously complained about speeding on her street in the city's southwest, and has noticed more policing only has a temporary effect.
"It changes for a day while the police are here, but then they leave and everybody's back to speeding," Young-Fleming said, who added she'd rather see speed bumps installed.
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With files from Colleen Underwood