In an effort to curb dangerous driving and protect local families, the Town of Slave Lake is bringing automated speed radar signs to one of its busiest summer recreation spots.
During the July 7 regular meeting, the town council unanimously approved the purchase of two new solar-powered speed radar signs. The displays will be installed at the entrances to the Schurter Park playground zone, located along 3 Ave. Northeast and 6 St. Northeast
Project manager Kush Patel presented the proposal to council, explaining that town administration has been receiving a growing number of complaints from concerned local residents. Motorists, he said, are routinely blowing through the reduced-speed corridor and failing to hit the brakes when entering the zone.
The safety risk was brought into the spotlight recently after a rear-end collision occurred right inside the playground boundary. The crash happened when a vehicle properly stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the street, only to be struck from behind by an inattentive driver.
While no serious injuries were reported in that specific incident, Patel told council that the crash proved immediate traffic-calming measures are necessary. With schools out for the summer, pedestrian traffic is peaking as kids and families flock to Schurter Park. The zone also features two heavily used pedestrian crosswalks, significantly increasing the risk of vehicle-pedestrian conflicts if drivers are not paying attention.
Patel explained that a shift in local enforcement tools is largely responsible for the current speeding issues.
“Historically, photo radar enforcement deterred speeding within the community,” Patel said in his official report to council. “With photo radar enforcement no longer operating, compliance is now primarily dependent on RCMP and Community Peace Officer enforcement. Given available resources, enforcement personnel cannot be present at every location throughout the day.”
To fill that enforcement gap, the town is turning to engineering solutions. Council approved the purchase of two I-SAFE 1 SL radar systems from ATS Traffic. Utilizing corporate Canoe pricing to secure the best value, the town will spend a total of $10,403.94 before GST on the hardware.
To save on external labour costs, the signs — which come equipped with heavy-duty 95-watt solar panels and mounting kits — will be installed directly by the town’s own public works crew.
Beyond flashing a driver’s current speed in bright digital numbers to encourage voluntary braking, the signs will serve as stealthy data-loggers for the municipality. The internal computers will capture overall traffic volumes, calculate the percentage of vehicles actually obeying the limit, and generate daily speed data.
They will also record the 85th percentile speed — a critical benchmark used by traffic engineers to determine the severity of speeding problems. Patel said the town will use all of this collected data to figure out exactly when speeding peaks, allowing them to send RCMP and peace officers to the area for highly targeted enforcement.
If the digital signs successfully calm traffic at Schurter Park, administration noted the program could eventually be expanded to cover other high-risk playground and school zones across Slave Lake.
During the presentation, Councillor Cindy Williams asked if the new signs would be permanently fixed to the posts to ensure nobody could easily remove, vandalize, or steal them.
Patel confirmed the installations would be secure and permanent. However, he noted that because the signs rely on solar power, the panels and digital faces will require routine clearing and maintenance by town staff during the snowy winter months to keep them fully operational.
Following the discussion, Councillor Andrew Achoba made the official motion to approve the purchase and installation of the signs. The motion was carried unanimously by council.
Armaan Khanna
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter