Infrastructure and signage changes are coming to the intersections near the casino and library to enhance pedestrian safety in those areas.
Signage upgrades will occur at the intersection of Langdon Crescent and Fairford Street East, while infrastructure and signage upgrades will occur at the intersections of Langdon and Athabasca Street East and Athabasca and First Avenue Northeast. The department of engineering services expects to complete the work this year but does not yet have a cost for part of the project.
City council voted 6-1 to approve the changes during the Jan. 11 regular meeting.
Coun. Jamey Logan was opposed.
“If you look at the pedestrian crossing across from the public library over toward Main Street, the only way for anybody to (safely) get through (is) they have to go out into traffic and come back in, or else they have to go over a curb and come back in,” said Coun. Doug Blanc. “It’s just a matter of removing a curb, (which) makes it easier for handicapped citizens.”
Removing a median so pedestrians can walk straight across the street is correct, replied Bevan Harlton, director of engineering services. There is currently no straight path across the affected intersections, which means the road geometry needs to be realigned for smooth pedestrian access.
“I’m really happy to see this back before us,” said Coun. Crystal Froese, noting she made a motion more than a year ago to review this issue. “To improve it for accessibility is really important, but also both of these intersections will be upgraded from a yield sign to a stop sign … .”
That area is surrounded by seniors’ complexes, Crescent Park, the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa and the annual farmers’ market on Langdon Crescent, she added. It will be positive to upgrade those intersections.
The engineering department upgraded the intersection and pedestrian crossing at Fairford Street and Langdon Crescent last year as part of the cast iron water main replacement program in that area, so that cost is covered, Harlton said.
Specifically, the west paraplegic ramp was replaced, which aligned it with the existing ramp on the intersection’s east side. This allows for a straight pedestrian crossing in parallel with the adjacent Fairford Street lanes.
However, the department has not priced out how much the concrete work will cost for the intersections at Athabasca and Langdon and Athabasca and First Avenue Northeast, he continued.
The work to address these areas would include adjusting and improving the paraplegic ramps and their locations, installing appropriate pedestrian crossing demarcations and adjusting the sign type and location. Future work on the Langdon Crescent corridor and area around Crescent Park would be completed as part of the downtown local area plan.
“I want to get that design to a traffic consultant so we can verify that what we laid out with the geometry is right,” Harlton said, adding the department would complete the work as part of the overall concrete replacement program for intersection upgrades.
The proposed changes concerned Coun. Dawn Luhning, who wondered if this initiative would push something else out of the budget. She thought this should be discussed during a budget meeting, especially if a consultant is involved.
“We can’t just randomly be approving upgrades everywhere if there’s going to be significant costs involved … that (have) not been budgeted for,” she added.
This work is in the budget, confirmed city manager Jim Puffalt. No other project will need to be removed for these intersection upgrades to happen.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Jan. 25.
