SGI has granted Prince Albert just over $55,000 for improvements to crosswalks. (submitted photo/ City of P.A.)

By Rob Mahon

SGI Grant

City receives SGI grant for crosswalk improvements

Jun 29, 2022 | 4:00 PM

The City of Prince Albert has wanted to improve several crosswalks around the city and were hoping to get some funding help from SGI. Yesterday, when SGI announced their recipients of their traffic safety grants, the city got some good news.

SGI granted the city $55,137 for crosswalk improvements. The money will go toward four crosswalks in particular, which the city chose based on traffic levels and other factors.

“We’ve chosen four locations that we have some pretty busy crosswalks with high traffic flow that need to be upgraded due to traffic studies,” said Evan Hastings, transportation and traffic manager with the City of Prince Albert.

The crosswalks in question are at 6^th Avenue East and 9^th Street, 3^rd Avenue East and 28^th Street near Vincent Massey, a crossing near the hospital, and 15^th Avenue East near Helme Crescent. The crosswalks will get new rectangular rapid flashing beacons.

“I reviewed a number of crosswalks throughout the city, especially ones that are in higher traffic areas, ones that do get a decent number of pedestrians crossing,” said Hastings. “Unfortunately, there was a fatality in 2017 at the hospital crossing. There are four lanes (of traffic), and that one was deemed to be needing an upgrade for pedestrian safety.”

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Keeping vulnerable pedestrians safe was a theme that helped decide which crosswalks got the attention. In addition to the crossing near Vincent Massey, 3^rd and 28^th are not far from a school zone.

“15^th Avenue East near Helme Crescent, there’s a very popular crossing there,” said Hastings. “With over 9,000 vehicles crossing there a day, we want to make sure everyone is able to cross efficiently and safely as well there.”

The new rapid flashing beacons will function much the same way the current ones do. They’re already in service in other places in Saskatchewan, including Saskatoon, Rosthern, and Warman.

“They’re solar-powered rapid rectangular flashing beacons, as it sounds,” said Hastings. “Pedestrians will go up, push the button. They’re fully solar-powered and they will alert traffic that somebody is crossing the road, allowing them to stop and letting pedestrians cross more quickly.”

Hastings added they’ll be closing the bid on work on these crosswalks tomorrow, and from there they’ll set about bringing in the parts. Once those parts arrive, it will take only a matter of weeks before the improvements to the crosswalks are up and running.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP