After several fatal collisions on Stony Trail where speed was considered a factor earlier this summer, the Calgary Firefighters Association is calling on the provincial government to introduce tougher penalties for speeding.
Stony Trail has become a “hot spot” for stunt driving and speeding, resulting in traumatic scenes for first responders, according to the CFA, the union representing local firefighters.
“These are scenes we don't want to respond to,” said Calgary Firefighters Association president Jamie Blaney. “They sit next to first responders.”
As of September, officers had issued 618 tickets for exceeding the speed limit by 50 km/h, including five in one night on Stoney Trail last month. Last year, officers issued 704 tickets.
In Alberta, drivers caught exceeding the speed limit by more than 51 km/h are subject to a mandatory court appearance, but the firefighters association noted that those drivers can continue to drive until trial.
Calgary firefighters are now calling on the province to change legislation to allow law enforcement to either immediately confiscate a vehicle or suspend a driver's license if a driver is caught speeding, noting that Alberta is the only province without such legislation.
“It’s time to get the tools ready to stop the speeding that is happening on Stoney Trail,” Blaney said.
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To help get its message across, the firefighters union has assembled four independent candidates running for the City Council, whose district includes Stony Trail.
Jennifer Wyness, the incumbent candidate in District 2, said speeding has been a problem since the province removed photo radar from city streets.
“Every time this conversation comes up, I think more and more Calgarians realize that photo radar was not a cash cow, but a swear jar that actually saved lives,” she told reporters at a joint news conference Tuesday.
It's a problem all too familiar to Andrew Yule, an independent candidate in District 3, who said he often hears cars speeding along Stony Trail.
“It worries a lot of residents,” he said. “I have child drivers in my family who are just learning to drive, and it’s scary to think about them going out on (Stony Trail) when there’s this kind of speeding going on.”
Independent candidate for District 9 Harrison Clark said he is also hearing from residents who live near Stoney Trail on 17th Avenue SE.
“You're looking at two competing interests: the people who use it as a highway to get where they want to go, and the person just trying to get to the grocery store next door,” he said.
Independent candidate for District 6 John Pantazopoulos noted that excessive speeding on Stony Trail is a unifying issue among the candidates, despite their different platforms and beliefs.
“I think the next council can come together around things that make sense for Calgarians,” he said. “The fact that we are all here as independent people coming together for a common goal says a lot about this campaign and what Calgarians want from their next councilors.”
In an interview with Global News, Alberta Transport Minister Devin Dreeshen said it's “encouraging” that candidates in the race are talking about the need for “more police, not just cars” when it comes to enforcing speed on city streets.
He added that the province is “continuously” reviewing the Traffic Safety Act to determine whether changes to fines are needed.
“When it comes to the Highway Safety Act, we're looking at that issue to see if there are higher fines, higher fines or other measures that might coincide with deterring people from speeding and unsafe speeds,” Dreeshen said.
Drieshen said “time will tell” whether changes will be made to the legislation.
But the Calgary Firefighters Association hopes the next city council, elected Oct. 20, can help the province make changes they believe will save lives.
“We’ll have a new board in a week,” Blaney said. “We hope that through our partnership with them, we can convince the province to use some real tools to keep Calgarians, as well as police, fire and EMS, safe while we deal with these incidents.”
