Karen Neoh / CC
Common Council has passed updates to its plan to improve traffic safety on University Avenue near the Millidge Avenue intersection.
The major elements of the inital plan, including a road diet that will turn two lanes east of the intersection into dedicated bike lanes, are still in place.
Two signalized crosswalks will also be added at Bloom Street and Varsity Street near the Regional Hospital, and a transit shelter will be moved to prevent congestion.
The final plan includes reducing the speed limit from 60 kilometers per hour to 50, and will see the turning lane into the busy nearby Tim Horton’s and Wendys parking lot extended by removing a portion of the centre median.
City staff estimate the University Avenue traffic safety measures will cost roughly $100,000 to implement.
Multiple council members spoke in favour of the plan at the new session’s first meeting Monday.
Councillor Brent Harris said it’s important for the city to consider how it can improve pedestrian and cyclist safety in the wake of the recent hit-and-run tragedy on Crown Street.
“What are we obligated to do as a city to provide a safe street for people who are disadvantaged?” he asked. “For pedestrians, one, who have in many cases in our city, really long distances to travel across streets.
“And two, for cyclists, who are at greater risk when a collision does happen because we just lost Mr. Phil McMillan in the south end in a tragedy over this.”
Councillor Gary Sullivan says he was happy to see the implementations that prioritized pedestrian safety.
“Two signalized crosswalks are incredibly important,” he said. “It’ll help people get across the street without having to play Frogger to the hospital.
“But especially important is the one (at Bloom Street),” the councillor-at-large said. “Where people walk over from Shannex to Jean Coutu to shop and get pharmaceuticals. The fact they have a shorter route to walk and it’ll be safer and signalized for all these things is incredibly important.”
