The Town of Penhold is looking at ways to improve intersection and crosswalk safety throughout the town.
Recommendations were made at the July 11 town council meeting after the municipality contracted Total Performance SPD Ltd. to conduct an evaluation on intersections in Penhold.
Penhold community peace officers (CPOs) also reviewed the report.
“There's a number of things that we're doing to try and enhance the safety of children moving to and from school and around town,” said Dennis Cooper, mayor of Penhold. “We had a discussion a number of months ago talking about certain intersections that councillors (raised) that showed a concern.”
The completed report with recommendations was presented by chief administrative officer Rick Binnendyk for council's approval.
“We did an evaluation of the entire town. It was quite a comprehensive report,” added Cooper. “We're quite happy with the report and what it brought forward to council.”
Council discussed and approved five motions based on recommendations in the report that included accepting the intersection assessment report as information, having administration review the traffic bylaw to address enforcement on painted curbs, that council add crosswalk signs to Lucina Street and Maplewood Boulevard, crosswalk and school zone signs to Waskasoo Avenue and implementing a three-way stop at Hawkridge Boulevard and Heritage Drive.
“(The report) asked that we not only paint the crosswalk but put some signage up there as well,” said Binnendyk during the council meeting. “Kids are crossing the street on a regular basis to catch a bus on Lucina Street coming out of Maplewood Boulevard and it is an area that has a fair bit of traffic for pedestrian use.”
The cost of all work needed for the intersection and crosswalk changes and upgrades are estimated at under $1,000, noted Cooper.
“We took their recommendations, we asked our CPOs to look at them and whether or not they agreed,” said Cooper. “Now that we've done the study the next step is to make sure we implement (the recommendations and motions presented) as we move forward,” Cooper concluded.
Mayor Dennis Cooper
"There's a number of things that we're doing to try and enhance the safety of children moving to and from school and around town."
