Alberta 511: Not getting the picture.

Almost everyday I get Alberta RCMP reports coming into my inbox of incidents on Alberta roads, some of them are tragic involving loss of life, serious injury and sometimes both. Given the nature of driving conditions during the Alberta winter such reports are more common. For long suffering commuters of which I was one for many years, timely information about weather and local highway surface conditions can literally mean a driver making a life or death decision about which route to take and when.

The Alberta 511 service, which was launched in February 2013 was and remains a good and useful idea. Real time information delivered across multiple platforms to inform and warn Alberta road users from anything to weather to construction. As a commuter that left and often returned home from work, usually Edson or Whitecourt, in the darkness I did have a gripe.

Looking at the road maps one can see there are cameras positioned along the highways, often at or near intersections updating pictures to Alberta 511 at regular intervals. Great I thought. I could check out what the highway looked like before setting off and decide whether to take the highway or take my truck along the back roads and risk being confronted by a moose.

So, back then I checked out the cameras and got what? Not a lot. Darkness mostly and a few light and maybe the headlights of a passing vehicle. Certainly, there was absolutely nothing for me to see the surface of the highway and make a meaningful assessment. I was working for another media company back then. We ran an article and I recall asking about why the lights weren’t night vison capable. I’m pretty sure I was told that the cameras eventually would be.

It’s nearly three years later folks. I’m not making those journeys now but I might be next winter so I decided to check the cameras at night that would matter to me. What did I get? Not a lot, still. I checked the camera images at Highway 16 near Peers and Wabanum and Highway 43 near Whitecourt. We were unable to get permission from the Alberta Government to run screenshots due to the holidays but check out the Alberta 511 (https://511. alberta.ca/) and check out the cameras. You’ll see darkness mostly and a few light and maybe the headlights of a passing vehicle.

The Alberta 511 site is full of all singing all dancing usability that can come direct to your mobile device but the ability to mount a simple night vision camera, apparently not. Come on Alberta 511 you can make 2017 the year that people can see the state of the highway at night.