A strong desire to make the streets safer has encouraged some councillors to explore their options this summer.
The Village of Radium Hot Springs will be submitting a formal written request to the Ministry of Transportation to enquire about the possibility of reducing the speed limit on the slope leading up Highway 93/95 to reduce accidents caused by visitors stopping to look at the Bighorn Sheep.
“When I get an opportunity, I will be drafting a letter for the Ministry,” said Mark Read, Village of Radium Hot Springs chief administrative officer by e-mail on April 20th. “That letter will be reviewed by Alan Dibb at Parks Canada and Irene Teske at the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, as it is our intention to submit the request as a collaborative effort.”
The action stems from a series of traffic accidents and safety issues occurring on the highway during the busy tourism season over the summer when some people stop suddenly and without warning to look at the wildlife nearby.
“This motion was made in January in response to the number of sheep killed on the highway over the winter, and the concern with the summer traffic when the issue of people stopping anywhere they happen to see wildlife gets compounded,” said Clara Reinhardt, Village of Radium Hot Springs mayor by e-mail on April 21st.
“Anytime we lobby the Ministry of Transportation, we acknowledge that there are a number of levels of government, departments and entities which are involved and need to be consulted, and that takes time. We note that the boat inspection station is located at the first lookout south of Radium and that there is a corresponding speed zone associated with it which will slow traffic down for the next few months, allowing us time to proceed with our request.”
