A Calgary councilor is proposing doubling the speed limit on playgrounds

A proposal before Calgary councilors wants the provincial government to consider doubling the fine for speeding through a playground or school zone in Alberta.

Number. Jasmine Mian made a motion to discuss the issue at the Alberta Conference of Municipalities in September. The province sets speeding fines through its Traffic Safety Act.

“As a city councilman, I walk quite a bit in my school districts and safety is very important,” Mian said Tuesday.

“I want to talk to other municipalities, do they think this is something we should take a little bit further?”

Other provinces such as British Columbia and Ontario have increased or doubled fines for speeding in playgrounds and school zones, the petition said.

Mian pointed to changes the Alberta government has made in recent years to double speeding fines when on the road or when emergency personnel are present.

Currently, speeding fines in Alberta start at $81 for drivers caught going at least one kilometer per hour over the posted speed limit, and the fines increase depending on the speed.

The minimum fine for speeding on the road or when emergency personnel are present is $163.

“Really, we want to talk about all the fines in the Road Safety Act, not just speeding, and how do we make sure they're focused on safety?” Mian said.

If council votes in favor of the councilor's proposal, it will be sent to the Village of Duchess before being sent to Alberta municipalities to advocate for a provincial change.