Traffic Management

City needs to create traffic plan
MIKE CARSON
The Journal Pioneer
Safety on city streets will be the focus of next month’s police committee meeting.Councillor Cory Thomas, chairman of the committee, said the city needs an overall traffic management plan to make municipal streets and roadways safer for motorists and pedestrians alike.The issue took on more urgency following an accident Tuesday on Water Street by the mini-mall at the intersection of MacEwen Road. Travelling west, the street is single lane until it approaches the intersection of MacEwen Road. It then expands into a three-lane route with a right turn onto MacEwen Road; a left turn onto Glovers Shore Road; and a lane for through traffic. Motorists have complained the roadway is not well marked and is a prime area for an accident.Thomas said he contacted Police Chief David Poirier about the matter who in turn was in touch with municipal works to deal with the problem.Thomas said this is the type of situation he wants to see avoided in the future and he will be looking to set up a citywide traffic management plan.“Right now, we’re doing ad hoc management,” he said. “We’re waiting for something to happen and then address it. I want to see a consolidated strategy to respond to public concerns about traffic in residential neighbourhoods and our main streets.”The traffic management plan would involve city engineers, the city planner, police and municipal works staff to develop a strategy and outline where the city needs to go, Thomas said.Areas that would be addressed include better street markings, the inclusion of a police traffic unit and park development.“We have a park in the west end, Notre Dame Street Park, and there’s no four-way-stop near it,” Thomas said. “Yet there is a four-way-stop up the road. Is it safe for the kids to be crossing the street to have access to that park? Those are the sorts of things we need to look at.”Other options open to discussion are the need for additional speed display boards, signage including ‘caution children at play’ signs, others designating turning restrictions, flashing school zone signs, and markings on the pavement.“If people don’t see a turn marking on the pavement they may not know it’s a turning lane,” he said. “The one on Read Drive is confusing. Some people think it is a turning lane going into Meadow Heights and some people think it’s a slow lane. It’s actually a slow lane.”Speeding is always a problem within the city and Thomas said a traffic management plan would help address that issue. He suggested rumble strips across crosswalks to slow traffic down in those areas, speed bumps in subdivisions and better pavement marking.“We can keep waiting until something happens and then address it,” he said. “There are all kinds of things that a plan could help with and we don’t have one. You want to try the best you can to minimize accidents. As councillors we can throw our arms up and the air and wait for something to happen or we can be progressive. I prefer the progressive approach.”