Red Deer residents who live near 39th Street adjacent to Deer Park will have their say on whether more safety upgrades are needed to slow down speedy drivers.
City of Red Deer staff has recommended adding permanent electronic speed signs and pedestrian crosswalk signals for $150,000, using a provincial capital grant and municipal capital project reserve. The electronic speed signs would be set up on 39th Street between Douglas Avenue and Davison Drive for eastbound traffic, and between Dowler Street and Dempsey Street for westbound traffic.
Pedestrian signals would be set up at Douglas Avenue, where curb extension improvements were made in 2005.
City council agreed on Monday that public input was essential before any upgrades are approved. Residents within 100 metres of 39th Street will be contacted by mail. A public open house will be held, prior to the issue coming back to city council on Dec. 13.
Staff consulted residents along Denison Crescent about the proposed upgrades and they appear supportive of them. Residents want to slow down traffic.
The road along that stretch is fairly close to residences, with just a narrow strip of green between the fences and the curb. Years ago, curb extensions were built to help pedestrians get across more safely.
In August 2009 during the middle of the night, a pickup truck crashed through three backyards and into the kitchen of one of the homes. Several people inside narrowly escaped injury. As a result, more improvements were sought.
This summer, the city spent about $110,000 on tall deciduous shrubs and temporary concrete barriers along the north side of 39th Street.
An Engineering Department study released to council on Monday revealed that 39th Street is unique because it’s one of only three entrances to the east side of Red Deer, so it gets more regional traffic.
The study also found that drivers are driving faster than the 50 km/h speed limit because they were either coming from the countryside, where it’s 80 km/h, or from 30th Avenue, where it’s 60 km/h.
The RCMP have enforced the speed limit on 39th Street, but they don’t use photo radar because it would be hard to be inconspicuous, says the report.
Collision data from 2002 to 2009 showed that collision frequency at intersections in the study area was lower than comparable intersections.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com