The City of Cranbrook did not approve a request from Gordon Terrace School for an additional crosswalk on 5th Avenue and Larch Drive.
CAO Wayne Staudt said the city would not be approving the crosswalk at this time at that location, but would proposed a compromise of a crosswalk on 5th Avenue, at the school’s entrance.
“The request just didn’t seem to meet the safety concerns that we have with the sidewalks and other issues that we like to have around crosswalks,” Staudt said at the May 25 city council meeting. “So right now we’re going to be saying no to this crosswalk, but looking at putting a crosswalk on 5th Avenue.”
Staudt said he thought that was a good compromise.
In January the Gordon Terrace School PAC sent correspondence to city council dated requesting additional crosswalks. The correspondence was referred to Engineering and Development Services for review.
City engineering worked with School District 5 to review the request from the PAC and also review the School District’s intent at Gordon Terrace School. The PAC letter had indicated the school fence near 5th Avenue and Larch Drive was going to be opened to allow students to walk up through the school property and exit there. School District officials told the city that is not the case.
The city noted that the request was for an additional crosswalk across Larch Drive at 5th Avenue South and that a crosswalk exists at this T-intersection, however, the PAC was requesting an additional painted crosswalk to the east of the existing crosswalk.
The city reviewed the safest routes.
A sidewalk exists on the opposite side of 5th Avenue from the school, but not on the school side. That sidewalk leads to the existing crosswalk across Larch Drive.
The city’s review concluded that the requested crosswalk was not in the best interest of safety due to the lack of sidewalk and the slippery slope, as well as snow banks, at that location.
“The safest route for students was to cross 5th Avenue South at the school entrance and use the existing sidewalk and crosswalk,” city staff wrote. “However, no crosswalk exists in this location.”
Staudt noted a crosswalk is proposed to allow the students to cross 5th Avenue South at the entrance to Gordon Terrace School. It would direct the students to the existing sidewalk from the school property. He noted the location is not an ideal location for a crosswalk but appears to be a workable compromise in this situation.
The cost of the installation of a crosswalk is approximately $925 and an annual cost of approx. $200 for repainting. He said those expenses are not in the current Financial Plan and would have to come out of the Public Works budget.
