The City of Medicine Hat will be introducing three 'traffic calming measures' in the coming weeks, including curb extensions at Fourth Avenue and Third Street SE. - NEWS FILE PHOTO
The City of Medicine Hat will be introducing three traffic calming measures in the coming weeks.
The initiative is part of a pilot project to improve transportation safety and address speeding, according to a Tuesday release from the city.
“Lowering the speed limit is only one tool in the road safety toolkit and is not always effective in achieving a result of safe streets and safe speeds when used alone,” Pat Bohan, managing director of development and infrastructure, says in the release. “That’s when we turn to the built environment to influence driving behaviour.”
The project will begin with curb extensions downtown at Third Street and Fourth Avenue SE. The goal of the extensions will be to narrow the roadway to slow traffic and reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians.
The second stage of the project will introduce delineators to reduce the roadway along Eighth Street NE near St. Francis Xavier School.
“Delineators are typically flexible posts that guide and direct traffic,” reads the release. “They are sturdy enough to withstand vehicle impacts but bend or collapse upon contact to minimize damage to the vehicle and keep the driver safe.”
Next up, the project will install speed humps on Ranchlands Boulevard that “can be driven over comfortably at low speeds.” These differ from speed bumps, as they offer a more gradual incline.
The project will continue in 2024 with a pair of mini-roundabouts on Eighth Street SE – one at Second Avenue and another at Fourth Avenue. The mini-roundabouts will be installed in conjunction with a planned water and sewer rehabilitation project. The circular design of the instalment will help manage traffic flow and improve safety by limiting the potential for serious collisions through reduced vehicle speed.
“We’re introducing these pilot measures now so that the feedback and findings can inform the development of those plans and guide our decision-making in the future,” Bohan says in the release, which points out that the 2023-24 budget set aside funds to update the Transportation Master Plan, including transportation safety and active transportation strategies.
More information on these traffic safety initiatives can be found at medicinehat.ca/trafficcalming.
