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Chestermere council votes to reverse speed limit change

After Chestermere’s previous City council approved reducing the speed limit on well-travelled Chestermere Boulevard from 80 kilometres-an-hour (km/h) to 60 km/h, the newly elected council has voted to reverse the change.
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Chestermere's new council recently voted to change back the speed limit on Chestermere Road after the previous council voted to reduce it in October.

After Chestermere’s previous City council approved reducing the speed limit on well-travelled Chestermere Boulevard from 80 kilometres-an-hour (km/h) to 60 km/h, the newly elected council has voted to reverse the change.

“Recently, the speed limit was reduced because of collisions at the Rainbow Road intersection between turning traffic and through traffic,” said Mayor Jeff Colvin during a special council meeting Oct. 26. “Many residents have expressed their displeasure of this solution.”

Permanent signage informing motorists of the speed reduction was to be installed on Chestermere Boulevard from Invermere Drive to Range Road 284 by Oct. 15. 

According to Colvin, many other municipalities have fixed speeding issues similar to what Chestermere experienced by re-programming their traffic light sequences to include a turning only sequence.

Coun. Ritesh Narayan said the previous decision was made due to a number of messages from residents who said they felt there was a safety concern with the 80 km/h speed limit. He suggested the RCMP should come and present traffic statistics, like those that were shown when the previous council voted to slow down the speed limt, to get the new council members up to date.

“I think this is information this council would definitely appreciate being privy to,” he said.

Coun. Sandy Johal-Watt said it would be no problem to look at the data that was shown to the previous council, adding she saw there was an overwhelming voice of disapproval with the decision to change the speed limit.

“I do believe that we have adequate enforcement with our bylaw officers, so at this point in time, I think it could be a decision that we could make today, without seeing additional information,” she said.

Now-former Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Bernie Morton, who was released from the position shortly after the meeting, said additional factors in council’s earlier decision to reduce the speed limit came from concerned parents whose children walk across the intersection to attend a nearby school and to use the skate park near the road.

“There have been some concerns about their safety as well,” Morton said. “That was the rationale upon which the council decision was made.

“Of course, if this council wants to repeal that, they certainly can.”

A motion was made to revert the speed limit back to 80 km/h, to direct staff to re-program the traffic lights on Rainbow Road to include a turning-only sequence for east-to-west traffic, and prohibit turning the through sequence for east-to-west traffic. The motion was passed unanimously.

Council's previous decision came after a traffic safety review was presented earlier this year. The review provided an analysis of pedestrian and cyclist use of the roadway, as well as data on the total number of speed violations and traffic collisions over the last four years.

According to the review, approximately 183 violation tickets were issued for speeding in the 80 km/h section of the road between 2016 and 2020.

“Most ticketed vehicles were travelling 20 to 30 km/h over the posted speed limit and speeds in excess of 140 km/h were also recorded,” said Sgt. Trever Bowman with Chestermere Municipal Enforcement, at the Sept. 7 council meeting

Since 2017, there have been 74 motor vehicle collisions within the 80 km/h section of Chestermere Boulevard, according to the City, with nearly a third of those resulting in injuries.

In terms of future growth, the City plans to install an additional set of traffic lights at the intersection of Chestermere Boulevard and Merganser Drive for the communities of Chelsea and Dawson’s Landing, to accommodate new developments.

Traffic lights are set to be installed in 2022 and will provide a speed reduction between Range Road 284 and Rainbow Road, Bowman added.

According to a press release sent out Nov. 4 by the City, Chestermere Community Operations crews will be replacing the new 60 km/h speed limit signage with 80 km/h signs as soon as possible. Chestermere RCMP and Community Peace Officers are reminding drivers that until the signs are replaced, the posted 60 km/h speed limit remains in effect.

Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @jaystrickz

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