The City of Calgary has launched the new Traffic Safety Team (TST), a strategic initiative under the Traffic Safety Act and The Safer Mobility Framework.
The launch of TST will help to enforce speed limits in playground zones, bringing more awareness to traffic safety and managing noisy vehicle violations.
“This initiative is the first time as the City of Calgary peace officers to enforce the Traffic Safety Act with regard and focus on residential areas,” said Bradley Johnson, inspector and traffic safety team lead.
Law enforcement and the community will work closely together to ensure traffic safety rules are followed.
“We are supporting all avenues in residential areas to help provide additional resources so residents and communities and families can feel that presence,” said Johnson.
In school zones, Calgary peace officers will be patrolling to ensure safe speed limits during school hours, with patrol cars being deployed during pick-up and drop-off times.
“We’re also going to be around the school area in the early morning, starting 7 a.m. all the way up to 7 pm,” said Johnson.
The officers will also share traffic safety education with schools and the community.
“We have the time to be in front of schools and educate as well, and hopefully the Calgary Board of Education will be able to work on different methods,” said Johnson.
The Traffic Safety Team will organize officers into neighbourhoods to monitor residential communities and playground zones. With the setup of officers in these residential areas, patrols will be able to issue more speeding tickets and fines to those breaking traffic laws.
“If we’re having problems in certain areas, big areas, we can put our residential traffic unit into that area,” said Andy Woodward, acting inspector of the Calgary Police Service Traffic Section.
The Traffic Safety Team will be collecting data to be able to determine where issues are in the city when it comes to loud noises from vehicles.
“In the data collection aspect of where the noise is located in the city, after collecting that, we’re going to make a determination,” said Johnson.
Calgary residents and businesses will be notified about the new bylaw enforcement through a broader public awareness campaign.
“2025 public awareness campaigns will be rolled out ahead of stricter bylaw enforcement to ensure residents and businesses understand additional information surrounding noise, vehicles and other initiatives,” said Johnson.
