People lobbying for improvements to safety at the intersection of 50th Street NE and 70th Avenue NE in North Canoe will likely be getting their wish.
The city’s traffic safety committee made three recommendations to council, in response to a letter from the Canoe Traffic Calming Work Group. They are: a four-way stop be installed at the intersection; a speed reader be used when it’s available; and rectangular rapid-flashing beacons be installed when the city budget permits.
Coun. Louise Wallace Richmond asked whether committee recommendations are generally implemented, if all things go as expected, and was told yes by staff.
Coun. Chad Eliason said he is familiar with that intersection and asked if the committee could be asked to rethink the decision for a four-way stop and put in a speed hump instead.
“Maybe the committee doesn’t appreciate it now, but the noise that will come from acceleration, deceleration, acceleration there might be a bit obnoxious, especially when people are hauling boats and other things and are stopping and starting,” he remarked.
Rob Niewenhuizen, the city’s director of engineering and public works, said the city is reluctant to add more speed humps to community roadways. He said staff can look at it but the recommendation was to look at a four-way stop.
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The committee looked at a total of 19 questions or suggestions regarding traffic at its most recent meeting in November. Decisions can be seen under Committee Reports, then Traffic Safety Committee Meeting Minutes on page 51. Among them was the intersection of 10th Avenue SE and 60th Street SE next to South Canoe school regarding traffic violations there.
The committee recommended no action, but Staff Sgt. Scott West said he would arrange for periodic enforcement.
The committee discussed installing a four-way stop but “the city notes that north-south traffic is rare in this location and the city anticipates that vehicles will not stop at a four-way stop outside of school hours due to traffic imbalance.”
Coun. Sylvia Lindgren said she used to be a crossing guard there when she was an education assistant at the school. She said she counted upwards of 60 cars going past that school in a 15-minute period in the morning. She said kids in that neighbourhood walk along to school and cross often unsupervised by parents.
“So it’s a pretty dangerous situation with so many young kids there.”
She said she was surprised to see that stop signs were not recommended, but was happy to see there is going to be some enforcement there before somebody gets hurt.
Coun. Kevin Flynn said he appreciated the city’s process of having items go to the traffic safety committee and then having people who have expertise in the area making recommendations. Lindgren and Mayor Alan Harrison expressed similar views.
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