Alberta’s provincial government is considering increasing the speed limits on rural highways to 120 km/h.
On roads like the QE2, that’s increase of 10 km/h from the current maximum speed of 110 km/h.
To help gather public feedback on the proposal the government is conducting an online survey that runs until Dec. 12.
The province’s Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, Devin Dreeshen, said in a press release that the survey will provide Albertans with the opportunity to provide input on which highways should be prioritized for an increase in the speed limit, whether commercial trucks should be restricted from using the far-left lane on some highways and any other feedback they feel would improve the driving experience on provincial highways.
The Alberta government defends the proposed increase in the speed limit, saying it wants to make sure people are driving at the speeds the highways were designed for.
Global News
Speaking at an unrelated press conference in Calgary on Friday, Premier Danielle Smith said the provincial government wants to make sure there isn’t a mismatch between the posted speed limit and the speed that the highways were built for.
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“Do we have roads that have been constructed for (and) could could tolerate a higher level of speed, but because the speed is not set to what the road allowance is we are ending up with people getting tickets, getting slowed down, and problems as a result of that,” said Smith.
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“If the QE2 has been built and rated for 120 km/h, why aren’t we letting people drive 120 km/h?”
The current posted speed limit on divided highways in Alberta ranges from 100 to 110 km/h. However, the speed limit on highways that pass through First Nation lands, cities and other municipalities can be as low as 50 km/h for reasons such as the presence of intersections, traffic signals, pedestrians and local access roads.
“Modern vehicles combined with public awareness means we can explore higher speed limits,” said Dreeshen. “We want Albertans to be able to drive the speed limit that the highways are designed for.”
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New photo radar rules in effect in Alberta
In April of this year, the Alberta government also eliminated the use of photo radar on all provincial highways, with the exception of school, playground, and construction zones, reducing the number of locations where it could used by about 70 per cent.
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The province also banned the use of “speed on green” cameras for intersection safety, prohibiting their use to just red light enforcement.
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