I read with interest the letter published last week regarding the traffic flow along 39th Street east of the Deer Park Alliance Church.
I am also annoyed with the street as it was constructed by the city.
When the curbs were constructed to jut out to the roadway, I phoned the city to get some clarity as to their reasoning. I was told 39th Street had the curbs jut out in the road to slow down the traffic.
I suggested speed bumps but was told that they do not work, I forget the reason told to me. I said how the jutting curbs actually make the road more dangerous for now large trucks and buses cannot turn right with oncoming traffic for they often cross over the centre line, thus this builds up traffic behind them. Large vehicles have to wait for the traffic to be clear before turning right.
I was told that 39th Street east of 30th Avenue was not built to be two lanes in each direction. Actually it is wide enough for a driving lane and a parking lane. I cannot understand why the city would build a road with a parking lane in an area that does not have any homes fronting along it. So why have a parking lane? Would it not have been better to build the road slightly wider so it would have two travel lanes in both directions? There is plenty of room to build the extra lanes.
There was the one accident along the road a while back and I am happy to say no one was hurt but did the city really have to install barricades just because of one accident? As I remember hearing and reading of the incident, one person requested to have the barricades installed and city council obliged.
I agree with the letter from last week; the city should tear down the curbs that jut out and remove the barriers.
Ed Tatarnic
Red Deer