Council continued its discussion about the merits of a 30 km/h speed zone along the length of Bonhomme Street, April 26, opening the conversation up to possibly include further traffic calming measures in other parts of town.
Ideas ranged from whether the speed limit should be reduced to 40 km/h throughout the entire town, to building a new roundabout at the intersection of Pine Avenue, Miette Avenue and Bonhomme Street.
Any changes to the town鈥檚 speed limits would require council to approve a revised version of the municipality鈥檚 traffic control bylaw.
鈥淪hould council approve the request for decision on May the 3rd that would then require us to come back to council with a new traffic control bylaw,鈥� explained Mark Fercho, the town鈥檚 chief administration officer.
If that happens, Fercho said the revised bylaw would likely be brought before council for a final decision on May 24.
But before that can happen, council will have to decide exactly what it wants to do.
In April, the Traffic Advisory Committee presented council with a proposal to reduce the speed limit along the length of Bonhomme Street to 30 km/h, including Cabin Creek Drive, to improve safety along one of the town鈥檚 busiest residential corridors.
Currently the speed limit along the majority of the road is 50 km/h, except for a 30 km/h zone between Pyramid Lake Road and Maligne Avenue, which encompasses the Jasper Junior/Senior High School, the Jasper Activity Centre and a portion of Centennial Field. There is also a 30 km/h zone in front of Fireman鈥檚 Park.
The original initiative was brought forward after the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division (GYPSD) requested the municipality pass a bylaw to enforce the 30 km/h school zone 24 hours a day.
After the presentation on April 12, Mayor Richard Ireland suggested creating a 30 km/h zone along roads encompassing Centennial Park, the Jasper Junior/Senior High School, Jasper Elementary School and the Jasper Activity Centre.
He also suggested the Traffic Advisory Committee consider reducing the speed limit along inner Patricia Street, near Cabin Creek Drive.
Those ideas were incorporated in the revised proposal discussed on April 27 during council鈥檚 committee-of-the-whole meeting.
During that meeting David Osborne, the town鈥檚 licensing and enforcement manager, said he recently received a letter from a resident who lives in the trailer court, asking council to also consider reducing the speed limit along Ash Avenue, Poplar Avenue and Lodgepole Street.
There was also a suggestion to reduce the speed limit to 40 km/h throughout the entire town, unless otherwise posted.
Amongst all the ideas that were being batted around, Coun. Gilbert Wall reminded his colleagues that the overarching goal is to calm traffic.
鈥淲e have 30 km/h zones all over and I venture to say there is almost zero compliance with the zones that are here right now,鈥� said Wall.
鈥淪o if we add a whole bunch more signs and the goal is compliance to calm traffic, are we just going through an exercise of futility? We shouldn鈥檛 lose sight that there are other ways to calm traffic.鈥�
Coun. Brian Nesbitt also took the time to remind those in attendance that the catalyst for the proposal was to enforce the 30 km/h school zone 24 hours a day.
Bruce Thompson, the town鈥檚 director of operations, also weighed in suggesting it would be prudent for the town to consider commissioning a transportation management study.
鈥淭he big picture is to have a transportation study done and some recommendations made. In the interim I think we do need to address some of these speeds that are often above 50,鈥� said Thompson, adding Jasper is a 50 km/h town unless otherwise posted.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always good to educate before you regulate,鈥� he said.
Paul Clarke
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