City looking to temporarily address 4th St. concerns

The city is looking at temporary solutions for 4th St. East after a petition was submitted to city hall.

Stefanie Kellock started an online petition in March, which garnered 263 signatures. However, she was told the city would not acknowledge it unless it was on paper. Last month, her husband managed to get 162 signatures in the Southside Market parking lot.

“The ever increasing traffic in this area needs to be urgently addressed,” she said.

The petition went to the June 8 city council meeting. Director of Engineering Steve Black said he is looking into the issues.

However, Black told council he was uncomfortable doing something right away. In the meantime, he plans to hire a consultant to look at temporary solutions until the master transportation plan is finished for Revelstoke. Temporary solutions for 4th St. could include building curb extensions, which narrow the road and allow pedestrians a better view for vehicles.

Black said he will return to council soon with solutions.

The master transportation plan intends to serve as a long-term strategy for the next 20 years as the community grows. Council awarded the $123,000 contract for the project at their March 9, 2021 meeting. At the time, Black said the plan would be completed by September.

Fourth St. is the only access to Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Mackenzie Village and the growing number of approved development in Arrow Heights, such as the 59 unit Stoked Living development on Hay Rd.

Kellock bought a home on 4th St. E in 2016 and the road has since become much busier, she said. The dynamics of the neighbourhood have also changed.

In 2015, there were three children in her neighbourhood, now there are 20. Kellock herself had a baby last month.

Several residents also submitted letters to council, saying 4th St. is unsafe.

Daycare owner Pamela Jensen wrote one of the letters, urging council to put a crosswalk on 4th and Moss St. Last month, both sides of moving traffic stopped to allow Jensen and her the kids from her daycare cross the road. Another car drove around the stopped vehicles, almost hitting the children.

“Both sides of traffic then began honking at the vehicle that almost hit us causing the children to panic, cry and freeze in the street, it was awful,” she wrote.

Several pedestrians have been stuck by vehicles on 4th St. East over the years. In 2016, a nine year old cyclist was hospitalized with a broken femur after a vehicle hit her near Southside Market.

In Kellock’s petition, she said, 4th St. E needs improved signage and/or lights for pedestrian crossing at Edward St. near Southside Market (where the cyclist was struck in 2016), a marked crosswalk at Moss St. to allow access to Kovach Park, a marked crosswalk at Simpson St. N for pedestrian access to the Greenbelt and clear signage indicating 4th St. is single lane traffic only.

She would also like the city to consider reducing the speed limit near Southside Market, which is currently set to 50 km/h.

“People act like this is a freeway.”

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