Roads and highways
Published July 26, 2006
This summer my project is to make an informal survey of Ward Six. In this column, I propose to comment on some of the issues I have heard. Of these, the road system is high on the list.
If a dozen Strathcona residents were murdered annually by biker gangs, there would be panic yet we routinely kill that many on our roads every year. A report of the Traffic Safety Committee paints a gloomy picture to which we must add the humiliation that drivers in the Capital Region are now considered the worst in Canada. Any discussion about roads must recognise that safety has to be the main concern.
In the past, I have been outspoken in my opposition to the twinning of Hwy 21. In my survey, several of you have told me that I am backing a loser; many folks along this highway would like to see it twinned as soon as possible citing difficulty of access as the principal reason. Also, the RCMP provided me with accident statistics from the past few years illustrating profound differences in mortality rates between the twinned and un-twinned sections. This is primarily due to the high incidence of "crossing the centre line" head on collisions that could have been avoided by a centre median separating the two directions of traffic. It is the median rather than the twinning that reduces severity of collisions; still, it seems we cannot have one without the other.
Sensitive to both residents' opinions and actual data, I must back down as gracefully as I can and announce my support for the Hwy 21 twinning project. Anything to reduce the carnage on our roads is worth a try. Twinning does not solve all traffic problems; however, in this case, it may help.
The intersections at Range Roads 233, 232 and 231 and the Whitemud extension continue to plague us. Left turns are impossible during much of the day. No improvements may be expected until this highway is upgraded sometime after Hwy 21 work is completed, five years hence. These intersections will continue to be hazardous for many years.
For the upgrade of Range Road 233 South to the Whitemud extension, the primary issue was how to deal with the intersections that connect to country residential subdivisions. Council adopted the recommended design of roundabouts rather than signals. Roundabouts are safer. Collisions are fewer and less severe. Roundabouts are much cheaper to install and maintain. And, surprisingly to some, they are capable of moving as many or more vehicles per day. Some have pondered to what extent the motoring public will accept these road improvements. I have found folks remarkably willing to adapt once the advantages are pointed out.
Alan Dunn
Councillor, Ward 6
780-464-8206
dunn@strathcona.ab.ca
Last updated: Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Page ID: 2063