The long-awaited paint job of the Main Avenue pilot project's lane redesign seems to be getting mixed reviews.
Some residents don't exactly have glowing reviews.
"My husband was just in town and said it’s so weird how they’ve done the lines. Makes it worse," said Sandra Hillock on a May 16 social media chat on the subject.
Others seem to find the as-of-last-week incomplete redesign is without question a step in the right direction.
"Wait till they get the side buffer zones marked and blocked off so people have to follow the bend in the road into the roundabouts," said Colin McNutt on a May 16 social media post.
We agree.
Some drivers are motoring along in the outside, former right-hand lane, which, for the record as per the redesign, is now a buffer space for pedestrian safety. Not a speedway racecourse or some closed Hollywood set shooting the next installment of Fast and Furious.
"It's wonderful having proper lines! I'm thinking they're not done yet as the buffer zone in some areas seems like another lane. We also really need signs saying 'no left turns'" across solid yellow lines, posted Heidi Werdal in the discussion thread after an at-the-time out-of-town McNutt wondered whether the work was underway.
Of course many comments expressed concerns about the drivers who are operating under the erroneous assumption that the buffer space is a lane.
Some point out the driving lane could be made wider by making the buffer space slightly narrower and still leaving plenty of safety space for pedestrians.
The annual Sundre Pro Rodeo Parade is barely a month away, and along with the busy camping season will certainly offer some insight on whether the pilot project has the potential to become permanent.
Because if the roundabouts can handle the massive annual procession and cheering crowds as well as the ensuing traffic backup, they can surely handle a steady stream of trucks and RVs.
At any rate, the situation cannot be any worse than it has been before.
Perhaps it might even improve.
At worst, Sundre's elected officials as well as Alberta Transportation planners will undoubtedly during and following the project's trial period be receptive to feedback to improve the new design. Or to at the very least come up with a suitable alternative that garners sufficient enthusiastic support from the community.
And should the decision to go back to the drawing board be made, perhaps this time more than a small fraction of the community will show an interest in opportunities for public consultation; whether by attending open houses or otherwise submitting input following numerous attempts to advertise the process.
— Ducatel is the Round Up's editor
