In 2004, the City of Edmonton Mayor established a Mayor’s Task Force on Traffic Safety to reduce the high prevalence of collisions on Edmonton roadways. A traffic safety symposium led by the Edmonton Police Service in 2004 engaged over seventy stakeholders to address the problem. A key recommendation of the Task Force was to create a municipal Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). This “political will” is a critical element in any effort to improve traffic safety, and to date is the foundational or cornerstone of Edmonton’s Traffic Safety Strategy. The City of Edmonton OTS had the immediate benefit of working as a multi-disciplinary initiative based on strong support from the Edmonton Police Service and the Transportation Department. Both organizations, working collaboratively established a hybrid office that was formally created and staffed in late October 2006 with an Executive Director, with both organizations contributing financial support. The initial vision for OTS was an independent entity that works collaboratively and integratively to optimize traffic safety in Edmonton. In the short term, the support of a senior municipal department like transportation has been instrumental in accelerating the abilities of OTS. Having the infrastructure in place to deal with administration and financial process provided the critical time to establish the Edmonton Traffic Safety Strategy. This paper will focus on efforts by the OTS towards implementation of the Edmonton Traffic Safety Strategy and progress on initiatives based on priorities set within the Strategy. An old adage suggests, when much is given much is expected. This was also the case of OTS with the need to define expectations and set direction for traffic safety in Edmonton. Two important decisions were made which have and continue to serve OTS well. An evidence based approach was adopted to ensure that OTS could optimize best and leading practices in Traffic Safety. This also underscored the advantages of working with a senior department since the City of Edmonton Strategic management office became involved and provided resources to develop the Edmonton Traffic Safety Strategy (2006-2010), through a leading strategic planning process.
