Reducing the speed along Thatcher Drive West or installing a crosswalk across that road near the Iron Bridge subdivision could create more problems than anticipated, according to city administration.
During the 2020 budget discussions, Coun. Dawn Luhning inquired about possibly reducing the speed from 60 kilometres per hour to 40 km/h on Thatcher Drive West near the VLA Gate entrance to just past the Iron Bridge Estates entrance. She joked that she couldn’t believe she was even suggesting such a change since she thought there were too many 40 km/h zones around Moose Jaw already.
“People do come around the corner from VLA Gate going way more than 60 (km/h),” she added. “If there was some signage saying you’re coming into a residential zone, you have to slow down to 40 (km/h), maybe it would stop a little of that.”
That has been considered, but it would require an extensive reduction in the speed limit, especially since there are neighbourhood access points and existing speed zones, said Josh Mickleborough, director of engineering. Such changes could also have cascading effects to where there is a five-kilometre stretch of 50 km/h on Thatcher Drive from Ninth Avenue North down to YaraCentre.
It can be done, but there would have to be some element of enforcement, he continued. Motorists will violate the speed limit on that road anyway due to its open nature and the fact there are few intersections.
“It’s probably suited to a slightly higher speed zone from a practical perspective,” he added. “But what do you achieve by doing it becomes the question.”
“I understand,” said Luhning. “To go from 60 (km/h) to 40 (km/h) when it’s supposed to get around the city quickly does not make sense. I just thought I’d throw it out there.”
City administration is going through the traffic bylaw to also determine if a pedestrian crossing can be placed near the entrance to Iron Bridge, but doesn’t have an accurate cost estimate, said Mickleborough. Administration can provide a conceptual cost estimate of interlocking the pedestrian crossing with the train crossing, but that wouldn’t be cheap.
The problem, he added, is if council wants to stop vehicles with overhead pedestrian lights, then it should also be worried about backing up vehicles on the adjacent train tracks.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Jan. 13, 2020.
