By Sheldon Spackman

not so fast

Lacombe council takes a pass on Speed Safety Assessment

Mar 16, 2021 | 2:15 PM

Lacombe city council has hit the brakes on a recommendation to undertake a Speed Safety Assessment for the community.

Council voted last week to accept for information only, a recommendation to endorse a Speed Safety Assessment, aimed at enhancing Lacombe’s reputation of being a safe community.

The proposed project also included recommendations from Lacombe Police Services (LPS) for additional areas to be considered as part of the study.

Council’s 2018 Strategic Plan identified Speed Safety Assessment to be completed in 2021. As a result, administration worked with Stantec Consulting to prepare a scope of work that addressed key items discussed at a strategic planning session, and was within the original $46,500 budget.

This included the four key areas of the Highway 12 Speed Study (within city limits), Highway 2A Speed Study (within city limits), a Review Replacing School and Playground Zones with Community Safety Zones, and a Review of Lowering Residential Speed Limits throughout the city.

Pitch ideas

Central Alberta entrepreneurs take part in Catalyst Incubator program

2h ago

numerous incidents

QEII Highway very icy Monday morning

5h ago

"unprecedented levels of discrimination"

Ponoka Pride Society dissolves, citing limited resources

5h ago

The Speed Safety Assessment also contained recommendations from LPS to further include a Woodland Drive Corridor Speed Study (Garden Rd to Hwy 2A), Wolf Creek Drive Speed Study (Hwy 2A to Hwy 12), and C&E Trail Speed Study (63 Ave to north city limit). The LPS proposals were not initially included during budget considerations, and therefore represented an additional unbudgeted cost of $17,500 which were proposed to be funded from the City’s Roads Reserve.

The ultimate goals were to minimize traffic collisions with vehicles, people, and buildings; reduce speed related accidents; and promote efficient traffic movement without compromising community safety.

Councillor Don Gullekson, however, felt the $64,000 total cost of the project was way too much.

“The highway part, I think there’s some interesting parts there,” he explained. “Certainly the C&E Trail speed limit, maybe it should go to 40 (kms). But I also think our police department probably knows as well as any of the engineering at Stantec, which areas of our community are unsafe at certain speeds. I’m totally against this, other than maybe the highway parts of it.”

Councillor Chris Ross suggested the project could be done internally.

“Between administration, and for example, the police service, some changes could be made for the safety, yet without the degree of cost,” said Ross.

“I think we finally got people trained to do 50 (km/hr) on Highway 2A, we finally got people trained to do 30 (km/hr) through downtown, and now we’re once again suggesting a wholesale change across the city,” remarked councilor Reuben Konnik. “I support the idea of the study. I don’t support the idea of making wholesale changes, whether dropping to 40 (km/hr), without some proof. If you can’t show the basis for that or the reasons why we want to do that, then I think you’re going to run into a lot of trouble.”

“I hear far more people getting worked up about residential speed limits, obviously, particularly neighbourhoods that don’t have sidewalks,” said councillor Thalia Hibbs. “What I would want to be is more responsive to, if there’s an actual public call for this to happen. I want to see some organization happen with that,” Councillor Hibbs noted,.

“A neighbourhood should be working together with each other and bring their concerns to council, because then I could feel really justified in spending the money and getting something dealt with.”