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Alberta Speed Traps, Radar Traps, and Photo Radar on the Trans-Canada Highway

Speed Traps, Radar Traps, Photo Radar Overview

Radar detectors and laser detectors are LEGAL to use in Alberta, but not in Manitoba, New Brunswick; Newfoundland, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.

Alberta has a new 50 km/h (30 mph) construction site law unless otherwise posted, with all speeding fined doubled ($500 is not uncommon) in construction zones. Alberta also does a relatively poor job of signing short term construction sites. Using a tripod mounted laser gun and two officers they were so busy last Sunday that they didn’t clock people for 15 minutes while catching up on the “paper work” Note, RCMP at Red Deer laser guns are of a different model than the Calgary Police Service’s and/or used better. Fines start at $57. More than 50K/30Mi over is mandatory court appearance.

Calgary and Edmonton City Enforcement

Watch for extensive use of multanova (photo) radar in Calgary and Edmonton. Photo Radar is usually based in a minivan parked by the side of the road, but may also be car or pickup truck mounted.

Calgary police still using three mobile photo radar units mounted on either a dark blue or burgundy caravan OR now a GMC Light Blue/Dark Blue Stripe truck. Laser keeps on gaining popularity. This year after seeing and talking to individuals I have noticed a new strategy.(This also happened to me). They are cutting down on radar use and instead quietly follow you to match their speedometer with yours, then they bust you (called clocking).

Rural Alberta, Photo radar

Grey painted box about size of half height filing cabinet will contain camera unit, Ka radar set at reduced strength and flash bulb. Unmarked cruiser, plain clothes cop parked off roadway to operate it. Observed in Bragg Creek. Box may be confused with Canada Post grey drop box for letter carriers but I looked this one over pretty carefully. It is slightly larger and a lighter shade of grey. Bragg Creek does not have own law enforcement so expect this sort of technique may be in use anywhere rural RCMP patrols.

Please CONTACT US if the information on this page is no longer accurate, and you want to suggest adding or removing noted speed traps in your area or where you have recently traveled.

Speed Traps, Radar Traps, Photo Radar

along the Trans-Canada Highway #1

Trans-Canada Hwy No 1, Banff National Park, Banff

Cops strictly regulate speed within the National Park. Often seen in section between Canmore and the town of Banff. 90km/h posted speed limit; fines CERTAIN if travellign over 103km/h.

Banff National Park: Watch front snowbanks at turn-arounds in middle of highway, during the wintertime

Banff National Park: Watch for forest-sheltered turnaround in middle of the highway at “Borgeau”.

Banff National Park: Eastbound, watch for police sitting near the Valleyview picnic grounds, midway beetwen Banff and the park gates

Eastbound, watch your speed right before the Park Gates exit: speed limit is 90km before and 110 outside the gates, with patrols often right at the gate.

Westbound Transcanada 300 meters before turnoff for Sunshine

Cruiser in small clearing on side of road. Clever – electronic sign further up on highway sets off X band, you silence the detector and bam – laser gets you. Trans-Canada Hwy No 1, Banff – Calgary

Fairly clean but watch for hill crests in the rocky mountain foothills. X band instant on, semi marked cruiser. Laser hand held in shadows under bridge. Relay/Tag team cars extremely well concealed. Have observed up to 5 locations on 100 mi/160 km stretch over 8 hours. At least one Banff cruiser appears to have fore and aft X band guns. Laser and X band both used only on conspicuously fast/solo cars. Case in point, on a five trap day, my detector was never set off.

New for 2022: Exshaw Animal Bridge Construction Zone

Speed Fines DOUBLE in construction zones. A new animal bridge (overpass) is being built in Bow River Provincial Park,  east of Lac Des Arc and west of  the Kananaskis River. Watch for signs dropping to 90 km/h and then 50km/h on this construction site straightaway. Cruisers have been spotted regularly at both ends of this construction zone.

Stoney Trail 201 and Trans-Canada Highway Junction

Coming from the west on Highway 1, speed drops to 80 km/h right before Old Banff Coach Road bridge, and drops again on the uphill slope. From the east travelling on 16th Avenue, watch for signage and speed changes right after Canada Olympic Park. From Stoney Trail southbound, watch for signage and speed changes after the Nose Hill Drive underpass (as the construction comes into view across the valley)

Stoney Trail 201 (Calgary Bypass)

On the westbound/southbound Bow River descent watch for police at Nose Hill Drive Bridge with Canada Olympic Park in view before the Bow River bridge. Speed drops  to 80km/h. Police hiding under or near the Nose Hill Drive bridge.

Trans-Canada Hwy No 1, Medicine Hat

Laser is everywhere. Watch for slowdown sections 80km/h within city limits. Hwy 1, a deep valley and bridge over Saskatchewan River is loaded with laser. Very difficult to detect cops with detector in valley. cops are out nearly all the time in this section. Got a ticket last year at a 1:30am, three cruiser, speed trap.

Trans-Canada Hwy No 1, Strathmore

East of Calgary, 25 miles, around Strathmore. Hwy 1 is divided Hwy (2 lanes west bound, 2 lanes east bound) with a speed limit of 110 kilometers/hour. The speed limit drops to 60 very quickly as you enter Strathmore and then goes back up to the 110. Watch out! The 60 zone strictly enforced. Road side laser usually with an unmarked car, with the truck up (the old stranded motorist trick). Hwy 1 west to Calgary is regularly patrolled, as is the Hwy east as far as Brooks. The locally hwy patrol (RCMP) run a couple of unmarked cars and several fully marked (all the bells and whistles). All Chevy Caprices.

Trans-Canada Hwy No 1, 16th Ave and Deerfoot Trail

On 16th Ave overpass police quite often setup a tripod at the top of the hill. And enlist the help of a few cruisers.

Canmore’s Benchlands area

Laser Radar at Benchlands TR Canmore NB near 900 block. A 30 km zone ticketed Aug 15,2009

Speed Traps, Radar Traps, Photo Radar

around Calgary

Calgarians are the fastest drivers in Canada and a concerted crack down seems under way. Laser hand held, vehicles concealed up side streets/alleys while officer stands behind parked civvy vehicle/bus shelters tag team/relay.

Photo radar locations

Photo radar vehicles (legal throughout Alberta) are required to have a bright neon wrap “Drive Safely”. Alberta licence plated are only on the rear of vehicles, so you have to pass the van/car which is usually parked off to the right. Little effort at concealment, except on non expressways/school zones. Locations provided by the Calgary Police. Favorite spots are along the Deerfoot and school/playground zones. Listen to local radio where they often supply the locations of the radar. Ka band at very low strength, will not be detected/clocked until your vehicle has passed.

68th street and 43 ave

68th runs past 43rd (a small residential road). The only catch is there is a 6 1/2 foot high wood plank fence running parallel to 43rd, which easily hides a cruiser. This makes for a nice surprise to an unsuspecting speeder traveling on 68th (especially northbound. I live near by this one and I see a cruiser about once every week, sometimes everyday for a week.

16th Ave and Deerfoot Trail

On 16th Ave overpass police quite often setup a tripod at the top of the hill. And enlist the help of a few cruisers.

Speed Traps, Radar Traps, Photo Radar along Highway #2 (Queen Elizabeth II Highway) Calgary – Edmonton

A favorite spot for the RCMP highway patrol division. With their new color scheme being solid white cruisers with a blue, yellow, and red stripe. In this color scheme they have both sleek top, low profile strobe mounts, and a regular light bar. As well as the marked units several unmarked cars are used. The majority of which are Caprice Classics produced by Chevrolet, that have been seen in colors such as beige, forest green, and black. The other unmarked car that has been spotted is a 1996 white Camero. This car is extremely difficult to spot even when directly behind you.

Use Laser and in the summer, the Air Patrol. Speed Limit is 110 km/h on most of stretch. Airdrie, Red Deer, Ponoka are hot spot areas

Highway 2, Calgary

Extensive photo radar use on all primary roads including Deerfoot Trail, Memorial Drive, Glenmore Avenue, 14th street. Three units in the city. Radio stations including CJ92fm give regular bulletins on where they are located. Slow down before passing any trucks or minivans off to the side of the road on Deerfoot Trail. Cops issue tickets for all speeding 10km/h above 100 km/h speed limit.

Highway 2, 16th Ave and Deerfoot Trail

On 16th Ave overpass police quite often setup a tripod at the top of the hill. And enlist the help of a few cruisers.

Highway 2, Calgary – Red Deer

One cop stands on an east-west overpass (the highway goes north-south) with a laser. Radios description of speeding vehicle to a contingent about a quarter mile ahead. Cops here wave you down and nail you with a ticket. Choice of overpass seems random.

Highway 2, Calgary – Airdrie

5km south of Airdrie. Observed marked cruiser in median shooting continuos X band. Strength of signal much weaker than should have been so either they are using adjustable strength or perhaps was clocking southbound vehicles behind her rather than northbound vehicles like me in front of her. North of Airdrie patrolled more aggressively than south so was fairly surprised to see her.

Highway 2, Airdrie Crossfield

North from Airdrie to Crossfield watch for radar, lidar, and Air Patrol. Police normally sit on the mediam turn around about 2 miles north of Airdrie and may be flying a light while plane like a Cessna 172-About 3 miles South of Red Deer at the “Radar Road” watch for Radar, Lidar, and Air Patrol. Police usually sit at the turn out on the east side of the highway

Highway 2, Didsbury – Olds

Instant on, unmarked. RCMP patrolling this stretch are demonstrating and anti-sports car bias in the way they clock. I’m getting clocked at 120, Sport Utilities aren’t getting clocked even in the 130 to 140 km/h range. Observed on four of six trips through area.

Police run radar, lidar, and air patrols from a point about 3 miles south of the scales up to the south side of Leduc. Watch for police at the Leduc overpass, in the scales, and in the median south of the scales.

Highway 2, Hobema – Wetaskawin

Weekday mornings between Hobema and Wetaskawin. Uses laser. Usually sitting in his car on an approach to a farmer’s field. If there is decent traffic flow you should pick him up from a long way off. If you keep under 125 km/h no need to worry.

Highway 2,Leduc Weigh Station

Speed Traps, Radar Traps, Photo Radar around Edmonton

Edmonton Photo Radar & Red Light Cameras

The city of Edmonton has both photo radar and red light cameras. The city has provided a map of current locations of enforcement.

Whitemud Rd

Known for it’s Laser/Photo/Radar traps. The photo radar vehicle is most commonly a navy blue Ford F-150 which sits anywhere on Whitemud Dr. where there is space. Streets and avenues to look out for are: 99th St, Whitemud Dr, Calgary Trail and Jasper Avenue.

Whitemud Westbound at Foxdrive 50km/h (construction doubles the fine!). Watch for a black F150 with white walls on the right front & a big silver flash on the fender, or a maroon F150 all with toppers. Haven’t seen a van lately, at this location.

Wainwright Highway 14 headed east. Other AB

Ponoka, Overpass to Bear Hills Truck Stop

Usually features a radar trap in the median, or moving radar patrol. Ponoka RCMP are very active in speed enforcement

Speed Traps, Radar Traps, Photo Radar along the Yellowhead Highway #16 (Yellowhead Route of the Trans-Canada Highway)

Yellowhead Highway No 16, Edmonton – Westbound

West of 50 St interchange. Edmonton Police Service stashes a cop car behind the pumps of a recently closed service station. Extremely good cover and radar gun set on a very low power setting. For example, if you are in city mode you may not get an audible warning. You are extremely unlikely to ever get a visual on him. I only spotted the set because I missed the exit and used the frontage road to get back.

Edson/Hinton

Edson and Hinton (150 km W of Edmonton) have photo radar, run by a contract operator, who makes more money when they take more photos. Highway 16 goes through each town’s central district, and the speed limit drops from 110 km/h to 80km/h to 110km/h. Watch for an unmarked truck or van parked on a side road of the highway.