Constructing two raised crosswalks and one speed table on Highlands Way North, and closing Pitlochry Way at Pia Road are two short-term options the district is considering to address speeding concerns in the neighbourhood.
District staff have received several complaints related to speeding on Highlands Way North between the Boulevard and Portree Way, as well as several related to speeding on Perth Drive and Highlands Way North between Portree Way and Pia Road.
Last year, staff reviewed the area and determined that Highlands Way North was the top priority for traffic calming. Meanwhile, Perth Drive is also being considered for future improvements as some speeding concerns have been reported.
Staff are proposing short-term as well as long-term solutions for the problem.
A short-term solution is two raised crosswalks and a speed table on Highlands Way North to slow traffic.
The raised crosswalks will enhance pedestrian safety, and the roads will still be accessible for use by transit and emergency vehicles. At $20,000, the cost is relatively low, according to a staff report.
The second option the district is considering is to close off Pitlochry Way at Pia Road to regular traffic. This will reduce traffic on Highlands Way North and Pitlochry Way, while still maintaining access to the school, and without impacting transit route, staff report says.
However, residents on lower Pia Road, Bluebird Place, Jay Crescent and Condor Road will have to travel slightly further with this option.
Maintenance and emergency vehicles will also have to traverse a bump or constriction.
Building a multi-use path on the east side of the road, and reconfiguring the intersection at Highlands Way North and Portree Way by removing the right turn lane are some long-term solutions being proposed, although district says both solutions have their pros and cons.
A multi-use path, sidewalk or separated walking area is also planned on Perth Drive.
Council will discuss these suggestions at a Committee of the Whole meeting tomorrow, and staff will engage the public in the area through a survey.
Ron says
Has the DOS tried a more punitive solution. Have the police monitor and hand out tickets till the word gets around. Then reinforce this action on a periodic basis.Ron
Jim Lorman says
The next target area should be Government Road. People are consistently ignoring the Stop signs at Depot and Eagle Run Drive, either by rolling stops or failing to stop at all, as well as talking or texting)on their phones. The RCMP could make a fortune by enforcing the traffic laws at these corners. There is as well excessive speeding on this section of road, which has large number of high density housing units with lots of children. It blows me away to see the number of infractions at these corners by predominantly young adults.