Edmonton officials have sounded the alarm after a city‑wide traffic safety report showed a 27% increase in speeding and a 19% rise in multi‑vehicle crashes at major intersections over the past year. The data, presented to the City Council Committee on Transportation, points to a sharp uptick in violations and accidents that now dominate the downtown corridor.

27% Speeding Spike at 109 Street and 104 Avenue

According to the municipal traffic safety unit, the average speed at the 109 Street and 104 Avenue junction climbed from 42 km/h to 49 km/h during the evening rush hour, well above the posted limit. Police logs confirm that 1,842 moving citations were issued at that intersection alone, a record for a single location in recent history. This surge in speed is a key driver behind the spike in collisions reported by the city’s traffic safety unit.

19% Increase in Multi‑Vehicle Collisions in Downtown

The report highlighted that 42 of the collision incidents involved vehicles failing to yield right‑of‑way, with several resulting in serious injuries. Six intersections now account for more than half of all reported crashes in the downtown corridor, according to the data presented to the council. The city’s traffic engineers are reviewing signal timing to reduce congestion and curb the temptation for drivers to accelerate through amber lights.

Drivers’ Distraction and Pandemic‑Era Traffic Volumes as Culprits

Officials cited the easing of pandemic‑related restrictions, higher traffic volumes during peak commuting hours, and a growing prevalence of distracted driving behaviors such as smartphone use behind the wheel as contributing factors.. the report, prepared by the municipal traffic safety unit, frames these trends as the backdrop for the alarming rise in speeding and collisions.

Proposed Interventions: Signage, Speed‑Bumps and Cameras

City officials are proposing a slate of interventions, including additional speed‑reduction signage, temporary speed‑calming devices such as speed‑bump cushions, and an expansion of existing red‑light camera coverage to cover identified hotspots . The committee is scheduled to vote on a budget allocation for these initiatives at its next meeting, with the goal of implementing the most effective solutions before the start of the 2025 fiscal year.

Public Education Campaign on Distracted Driving on the Horizon

In addition to physical interventions, the council is exploring the feasibility of launching a public education campaign that emphasizes the risks of distracted driving,particularly the use of mobile devices while operating a vehicle. This initiative would run in conjunction with the engineering reviews and new safety measures.