The Town of Canmore has created three new safety initiatives for the community, funded with fines collected through photo radar.
Manager of protective services Greg Burt presented the three new programs to council at an earlier meeting in March.
Council voted unanimously to approve creation of a rebate program for new drivers taking driving safety lessons, adding a community safety grant to the municipality’s grant program, and a bursary for students entering post secondary studies in criminal justice.
Burt said the purpose of the reserve into which photo radar fines go is to fund expenses related to policing, traffic safety and community safety.
Since Canmore began collecting photo radar fines in 2007 after it hired a private contractor to deliver the program it has collected over $1.5 million and funded projects and programs out of those funds.
That includes the cost of 1.5 FTE RCMP officers and the I Drive Safely Program that rewards drivers who don’t speed past the photo radar vehicle with $250 gift certificates from local businesses.
“One question I frequently get asked is where does the photo radar money go,” Burt said.
The photo radar reserve fund has also contributed to pedestrian and cycling projects, improved crosswalks and bike lanes at the Bow River Bridge and speed display devices.
The 2016 budget included $50,000 for new community safety initiatives and with council’s thumbs up to the specific programs, they will be offered to the community.
The new driver course rebate program aims to make the cost of taking the course more accessible by providing a $250 rebate. Burt said the rebate can be applied to the $525 course after a new driver person has successfully completed it, with a maximum of 100 rebates available.
The community safety grant would provide funding to a local non-profit or charity that proposed a community-safety project for Canmore and applied under the municipal grant program for 25 per cent of the cost. The program would have $10,000 in it.
Finally, Burt said, the law enforcement bursary is to provide two local high school students pursuing criminal justice or a policing program with $2,500 each.
