In an effort to better control the speed of vehicular traffic on City streets, the Operations Department is proposing implementing traffic calming measures in various locations throughout Kimberley.
These measures would include electronic speed reader boards and other signage, removable speed bumps and other devices that might be identified upon further investigation.
The requested budget allocation for the initiative is $20,000, in 2018 from the General Operating Capital Reserve, and City staff is investigating the possibility of partial grant funding from ICBC.
At a Committee of the Whole Meeting on Monday, Nov. 6, City Chief Financial Officer, Jim Hendricks and Senior Manager of Operations, Chris Mummery explained the rationale behind including traffic calming in the 2018-2022 Financial Plan.
Mummery says the Operations Department is looking into two options for speed reader boards and signage, both fixed and movable units.
“We’re looking at both options,” said Mummery. “There are some [speed reader boards] that are being used in a number of communities around that are permanently placed, with solar panels that give you a speed in a particular zone that you have concerns with. There are also units that can be moved to different locations if required. We’re looking at all of those things as sort of a package of items that we can use to help with traffic calming.”
Mummery also says the speed bumps will be removable to allow seasonal access for vehicles, such as snow plows in winter.
Councillor Kent Goodwin asked if there would be additional operational costs on top of the capital costs.
Mummery responded saying there would be a small operational budget attached.
“Installation would be one [cost], and a little bit of maintenance on the solar side of things as well as the lighting on the reader boards. The portable ones would be easily moved and the speed bumps would require some labour to install and remove seasonally,” said Mummery.
“Some areas that we are thinking about are places like Rotary Drive, where there are a lot of speed zones that people are working with,” Mummery explained. “For the speed bump areas, those would be places that we would identify as being complaint driven.”
Mayor Don McCormick says other areas for consideration could include Norton Avenue and Stemwinder Drive.
“Another problem area we’ve had is the 200 block of Norton Avenue, particularly on the way down the hill,” said McCormick. “A little less so on the way up, but on the way down speeds can get out of control there fairly quickly because of the grade of the hill. Stemwinder Drive is another one that we receive a lot of complaints about. There are probably a half-dozen consistently complained upon streets in town.”
Councillor Darryl Oakley asked if the speed bumps would be an issue for the fire department.
“They [the fire department] might be concerned with the speed bumps, especially on certain roads, in terms of access and the impact it might have on equipment,” Oakley said.
Mummery says he hasn’t had discussions with Fire Chief, Rick Prasad yet, but he doesn’t think it would be an issue.
“The ones [speed bumps] that we’re looking at are not a real harsh speed bump, they’re more of a softer, gradual [bump],” Mummery said. “I don’t think there would be too much concern with equipment damage, as long as we have the information out there as to where they’re located.”
