Mayoral candidate Klein promises yellow warning lights at all Winnipeg school zones

Winnipeg mayoral candidate Kevin Klein is promising if elected, he'll see flashing lights erected at 400 school zones in the city to warn drivers to slow down.

Klein said Friday he would spend $2.5 million over four years toward the goal of installing lights that would make drivers more aware the speed limit in school zones is only 30 kilometres per hour from September to June.

This would do more to reduce speeds and improve safety for schoolchildren than issuing tickets in school zones, he said.

"These lights are important. These lights send a message to drivers and a warning to drivers: you're in a zone you must slow down in," Klein said at his campaign office in a strip mall near the Jubilee Underpass.

"Every school zone will have flashing amber lights so that there is less of an excuse to speed through those areas, so you don't consider it just a cash grab."

Klein said he would use revenue from red-light camera tickets to pay for the signs. 

Currently, only one set of the flashing school zone lights exists in Winnipeg, on Bedson Street in Westwood. That set was donated to the city by Expert Electric owner Chuck Lewis, who joined Klein at his announcement on Friday.

Lewis first went to city hall with an offer to supply and install the solar-powered warning lights in 2017 but found the city reluctant to accept the offer.

Then electrical contractor then installed a test light on Bedson under the cover of darkness in 2020. The lights were finally turned on in 2021.

Lewis estimated the cost of installing each set of flashing lights at $9,000, which means it would cost $3.6 million to install 400 sets.

Klein also pledged to make make photo radar vehicles more visible so drivers can see them and slow down, rather than collect tickets.

Klein said this would require a conversation with the province and the city's photo radar contractor.

Klein, the current city councillor for Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood, is one of 15 candidates running for mayor. 

Idris Adelakun, Rana Bokhari, Chris Clacio, Vincent Gabriele, Scott Gillingham, Shaun Loney, Jenny Motkaluk, Glen Murray, Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Jessica Peebles, Rick Shone, Govind Thawani, Desmond Thomas and Don Woodstock have also registered mayoral campaigns.

• Read more from CBC on the 2022 Winnipeg election

The deadline to register is Sept. 20. Candidates must also complete a nomination process from Sept. 14 to 20 in order to appear on the election day ballot on Oct. 26.