Staff prepare plan to calm traffic

City of Powell River councillors have directed staff to prepare a traffic calming implementation plan.

Staff had recommended establishing an advisory committee to develop a plan, based on the Canadian Guide to Neighbourhood Traffic Calming. The recommendation was in response to a variety of traffic concerns raised by Powell River residents, which range from excessive speed to traffic volume, noise and aggressive drivers.

In particular, residents on Cranberry Street and Ortona Avenue asked for a concrete barricade in the intersection of those two streets to prevent traffic from speeding around D.A. Evans Park. As well, the Cranberry Ratepayers’ Association had presented a petition to council for traffic calming on Drake Street from Dieppe to Manson avenues, also to reduce speeding in the neighbourhood and park zone.

Councillor Jim Palm pointed out at the September 20 council meeting that there were pros and cons about the recommendation to create an advisory committee. “A number of people would be involved and it would be quite time consuming, I have no doubt,” he said. “I believe staff have their finger on the pulse of this issue.”

Speeding, noise and aggressive driving are all safety issues in the community that need to be addressed, Palm also said. “I just want to say to all the drivers out there that this is an issue that is going to become more high profile as we proceed down the road of trying to do something about it,” he said.

Mayor Dave Formosa said that he and other councillors have had numerous phone calls from residents concerned about traffic issues. Some residents have brought petitions into city hall, he said, pleading for help. “In a lot of cases, they’re narrow streets, they’re alleys, they’re side roads,” he said. “What these folks are looking for are speed bumps.”

He has told these residents that speed bumps are expensive, Formosa added, and he asked if the city paid half the cost, would neighbours contribute. “Each one of these people said they would canvas their neighbours and ask them to participate,” he said. “I’m not saying which way to do it, but we have to do something and we’re going to do something.”

Formosa said he saw for himself the speeding that goes on in an alley behind Maple Avenue. He hoped that engineering staff engages some of the people who have contacted the city. “I have been inundated with complaints about speeding and we need to do something about these back roads, people taking short cuts,” he said. “Somebody is going to get killed and we’re all going to feel terrible.”