Alberta tweaking road rules to improve safety
 

  Michael Franklin, CTV Calgary

The Redford government has announced a new bill aimed at protecting children in playground zones and improve safety on Alberta’s highways.
 
The Enhancing Safety on Alberta Roads Act hands over authority for playground zones to the municipal level, allowing them to set the rules within those areas.
 
Currently, municipalities only have the ability to set the hours of speed restrictions in school zones.

 
With the bill, it will be easier for municipalities to align playground and school zone restrictions to reduce confusion for drivers and increase safety for children.
 
It will also allow for designated traffic lanes to deal with traffic flow issues on highways.
 
Municipalities have the authority to designate lane use on local roads, but the province cannot issue the same rules for provincial highways.
 
The passage of Bill 32 will allow provincial authorities to optimize highway infrastructure, and set priority lanes for buses, High Occupancy Vehicles, and slow-moving vehicles.
 
“I am pleased to bring forward legislation that furthers our commitment to the safety of families and communities. Working with Alberta drivers, municipalities and stakeholders we will continue to help keep our children and Albertans safe,” Ric McIver, Alberta’s Transportation Minister, said in a release.
 
The proposed bill will also include amendments to make sure that Alberta’s traffic safety legislation is strong, clear, and consistent.
 
The province says that since the Traffic Safety Plan was launched back in 2007, the number of fatalities on roads have decreased by 25 percent, even though Alberta’s population has grown.