Year in Review: Traffic safety and changes

While the holiday season is a big one when it comes to putting out lights, P.A. city council made a big move removing multiple traffic lights.

Five sets of traffic lights designated by the city for removal have now been taken down. The support poles were still up, but they’re now missing their red, amber and green light boxes.

The lights were taken out after a study found these intersections saw relatively little potential vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian interactions and conflicts at peak hour. Many on city council, and the mayor in particular, want Prince Albert’s abundance of traffic lights to be reduced. The city has far more of them compared to similar-sized communities.

Traffic light removal results in no increase in incidents

The intersection of 12th Street and First Avenue W. is where one of five sets of traffic lights were recently removed in the P.A. downtown. (Glenn Hicks/paNOW Staff)

Officials says there has not been any change in the incident rate at the Prince Albert downtown intersections where five sets of traffic lights were removed a month ago.

The city approved their removal after a study found these intersections saw relatively little potential vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian interactions and conflicts at peak hour.

Despite concerns raised by some city councillors, the majority approved the removal of three sets of lights on Central Avenue: at 11^th Street, 13^th Street and 14^th Street. The other sets were at First Avenue E. and W. at 12th Street.

Petition Denied

(Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

A study found that 85 per cent of cars on Wyllie Crescent drive 44 km/h or slower, only four kilometres above the speed limit.

During the one-week period surveyed, an average of 133 vehicles per day used the street. According to city criteria, residential streets must have between 1,000 to 5,000 daily vehicle trips to be considered for measures like speed bumps.

Playground Safety

The playground on Muzzy Drive cost just over $100,000 and opened in July. (Michael Joel-Hanson/paNOW staff)

Two months after a new playground was built, Crescent Acres residents are concerned about speeding cars. They want to see a speed bump installed on Muzzy Drive across from the park.

“There’s a lot of traffic, and traffic going maybe a bit too fast for that area,” councillor Dennis Ogrodnick told paNOW. “I’ve had residents complain to me about the speed of some vehicles. I believe for safety it’s a must.”

Student Safety

City crews do some final work on the new lights on Tuesday. (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW staff)

Flashing yellow beacons have been installed at the crosswalk at Sixth Ave. E. outside Carlton High School.

The city hopes the new lights, which came with a $30,000 price tag, will improve safety at the busy crosswalk which has been the site of several collisions.

The city weighed multiple options for the crossing before ultimately deciding on this in July.

“I’m excited that it’s finally up,” Mayor Greg Dionne told paNOW. “You know that crosswalk has been a controversy of council for years and we hope this idea and this remedy will work.”

Students respond to new traffic lights

Students crossing the street at lunch from Carlton Comprehensive High School.(Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

The sound of the bell at Carlton High School rings at 12:15 p.m. and within minutes, dozens of students are crossing Sixth Ave. E. to get their lunch. The steady stream of traffic is brought to a halt.

Flashing yellow beacons were installed at the crosswalk as a means to address concerns about pedestrian safety. In a span of 25 minutes, four youths were observed touching the round, silver button to activate the light. One student, age 16, was among the dozens of students who walked by it.

“I didn’t know there was a light there,” he confessed, adding he rarely pays attention to traffic when he crosses the street.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn

by Michael Joel-Hansen