Proposed Safety Upgrades Sent To Administration For Reports
A trio of safety concerns brought forward at Council were dissussed but in the end sent back to Administration for a report.
In her presentation Councillor Crystal Froese said she would like to see signage or changes made to help make the three areas safer - either for pedestrians in two intersections and motorists in another.
The first intersection Councillor Froese raised concerns about was the corner of Langdon Crescent and Fairford Street East.
Langdon Crescent and Fairford Street East
Councillor Crystal Froese proposed changing the Yield sign to a Stop sign at Landgon Crescent and Fairford Street East - MJ Independent Photo
For the intersection of Langdon Crescent and Fairford Street East Councillor Froese said she would like to change the yield sign when heading south on Langdon Crescent and turning right onto Fairford Street East into a stop sign to improve pedestrian safety.
“As you are turning west onto Fairford you are turning into another crosswalk (between the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa and Casino Moose Jaw)…as long as I can remember that yield sign has been there,” she said, adding “it is a very precarious place for pedestrians to move across.”
“It is very difficult to see pedestrians in the crosswalk making their way to the Casino (from the Spa)…changing it from a yield sign to a stop sign will generally make it more safe for.”
She said drivers heading west on Fairford Street from Langdon Crescent are often looking more to their left while turning and perhaps would not see any pedestrian due to bushes and other obstructions at the corner.
Langdon Crescent runs along the entire west side of Cresecent Park between Fairford Street East and Athabasca Street East.
Councillor Chris Warren said the geometry of the intersection is off with multiple pedestrian crossings there.
Councillor Warren asked Administration if the intersection had been “analysed uner the warrant system” and was told they had no information on the intersection.
The Traffic Warrant system was adopted as part of the updated Traffic Bylaw #5556 passed in June 2018.
The Traffic Warrant system (Schedule A in Traffic Bylaw #5556) laid out conditions in which the Engineering Department could examine an intersection and decide to make signage changes and upgrades without Council approval based upon set criteria which included such factors as traffic counts which were seasonally adjusted, accidents and their severity, combined pedestrian and vehicle volume crossing an intersection, the number of warrants and their score on a percentage basis as well as other factors.
Councillor Dawn Luhning said she would like to see what the Engineering Department had to say about the intersection and what type of study, if any, had been done on the intersection.
“Have there been a number of accidents there coming out of that corner?” Councillor Luhning asked.
Councillor Brian Swanson said he was “a little bit bemused” by Councillor Froese’s request given during discussions surrounding passing the Traffic Bylaw he had proposed an amendment which would have allowed Council members to bring concerns such as hers to Council but the motion was defeated with only Councillor Swanson voting in favour.
“How many sets of rules do we have? Either we have rules or we do not,” Councillor Swanson said.
Councillor Froese replied “at any time at Council we have the opportunity to bring anything forward.”
In a 6 - 1 vote with Councillor Swanson opposed the matter was referred to Administration for a report.
Langdon Crescent and Athabasca Street East
Councillor Crystal Froese proposed changing the Yield sign to a Stop sign at Landgon Crescent and Athabasca Street East - MJ Independent Photo
In a second safety concern Councillor Froese requested not only signage changes but also additional work to be done to make the intersection accessible.
“This is more precarious as you are entering two crosswalks,” Councillor Froese said about changing the Yield sign at the corner of Langdon Cresent and Athabasca Street East for those heading east from Langdon Crescent down Athabasca Street East into a Stop sign.
She related that during the Summer she had witnessed a pedestrian almost hit on the 50 km/hr roadway and there was not enough time potentially to stop for a pedestrian.
“A driver did not see a lady and a stroller coming from the park side into the intersection (causing him to slam on his brakes)…changing a Yield sign to a Stop sign would have a positive impact,” she said.
It needs to be noted in photos taken by MJ Independent at the park entrance into the crosswalk there is the potential of a driver’s view being blocked by large bushes between a pedestrian exiting the park and entering the intersection. Schedule B of the Traffic Bylaw #5556 deals with sight lines at intersectons. See photo above.
Councillor Froese also requested curb cutting be looked at for the crosswalk where it crosses Langdon Crescent.
The raised cement or pedestrian islands in what is referred to as a pork chop intersection are there for pedestrians’ safety but due to the fact they protrude into the crosswalk they are in fact not proper. The pedestrian islands or refuges require curb cutting to make them accessible to wheelchairs, strollers and walkers she said.
Councillor Swanson said as a former member of the Special Needs Advisory Committee a study had been done by students of what was then SIAST on curb cuts in the Downtown core and only five out of 25 were up to code.
“It is the sad situation as it refers to curb cuts it is pretty sad…the lamentable state of our curb cuts is pretty sad.”
He suggested the Special Needs Advisory Committee should be involved in any evaluation which may be made to rectify accessibility problems at the intersection.
Councillor Warren asked about the potential funding to upgrade the cement work and found out any funding would have to come out of the $485,000 sidewalks budget line in the Capital Budget.
“I am supportive of that work…just at this time (there is) no funding for it,” he said.
In a 6 - 1 vote with Councillor Swanson opposed the matter was referred to Administrtion for a report back to Council expected early in the new year.
Improved Signage For The North Service Road Merge Lane
The final safety concern Councillor Froese brought to Council was for some type of signage be erected heading westward at the intersection of the North Service Road and 9th Avenue NW to tell drivers they could proceed the 1.3 km west on the merge lane to enter the Trans-Canada Highway.
Councillor Froese said she hung out at the A & W restaurant just north of the intersection and she had personally witnessed a series of safety concerns when semis heading west down the North Service Road did not use the merge lane to the west of the intersection to enter the Trans Canada highway. The trucks dangerously turned right at the intersencton and then immediately west onto the Trans Canada Highway.
She said she had also witnessed a car with Alberta plates headed down the on ramp that later turned around and then entered the Trans Canada Highway and headed west from the intersection of the highway and 9th Avenue NW.
Councillor Luhning said the intersection may not be a City responsibility but a Provincial one despite the City assuming responsibility for the North Service Road. If the City were to start erecting signage, where it is not their responsibility, she said the Province might further financially download more onto the City.
“I am not interested in putting our fingers into that anymore than we have,” she said.
Mayor Fraser Tolmie said “what this would require is a followup conversation with the Province…we need clarity of ownership and push the Province on what their reports are for safety.”
The Province had erected photo radar cameras and reduced the speed at the intersection moves Mayor Tolmie said had been successful in dropping the accident rate.
“The ultimate question for me is safety…people are not using the merge because they cannot find it,” Councillor Froese said.
In a 6 - 1 vote with Councillor Swanson opposed the matter was referred to Administration to approach the Province about the safety concerns raised and later report back to Council.
A series of email questions sent to Councillor Froese about the three safety concerns she raised by MJ Independent was not responded to.