(file photo/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Road safety

City to receive grant for radar speed signs to calm traffic

Jan 13, 2021 | 12:09 PM

The City of North Battleford’s application for funding to improve traffic safety on some busy city roads was approved.

North Battleford Director of City Operations Stewart Schafer updated council at its meeting this week on the Provincial Traffic Safety Fund Grant program award.

At the end of December Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) notified the city it was approved for grant funding from the Driver Vehicle Speed Awareness program, for two radar signs, with the condition they be installed by the end of March. The city previously applied for $8,000 to purchase the two solar powered radar speed signs to install on city streets in an effort to calm traffic that is travelling at a high speed.

In his report to council, Schafer noted the radar speed signs are designed to alert drivers of their current speed, not for the purpose of issuing a speeding ticket.

“These are not radar traps. These are only speed signs to let the drivers of vehicles know how fast they are going,” Schafer said.

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The city proposed eight possible locations for the signs.

Schafer stated administration will consult with the city’s Community Safety Officer Supervisor and the city’s Roads Supervisor to determine suitable locations for the signs.

As well, Schafer said administration budgeted in 2021 to purchase and install one additional solar powered radar speed sign. The city plans to install this unit by the end of March, along with the other two units covered by the SGI grant.

Schafer said the one sign budgeted is for the base of the Don Ross Centre hill where the previous sign was vandalized.

Among the suggested locations for the two signs funded by SGI, are Territorial Drive just before Clements Drive to the east, and the other one just before 95thStreet to the west. In both places the speed drops from 80 km/h to 50 km/h on Territorial Drive.

“We just want to warn drivers that, ‘Hey, you are going too fast. Slow down so that you are within the speed limit,’” Schafer said.

On a related topic, Mayor David Gillan suggested the city should look at applying for a grant to install advance prepare-to-stop signs on Territorial Drive at 15th Avenue, where the new Red Pheasant First Nation gas station is being constructed in North Battleford. Lights have been installed at the intersection, but he said vehicles are travelling at 80 km/h on Territorial Drive when they approach the lights to stop. It is especially more difficult for large trucks to stop in a hurry. So it would be safer if there were advance warning signs there to alert drivers beforehand, he said.

In a similar situation, Gillan mentioned he is aware the Town of Battleford was approved for funding for prepare-to-stop-when-flashing signals. The town applied for over $70,000 in support through the Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) Provincial Traffic Safety Fund Grant program for two prepare-to-stop-when-flashing (PTSWF) signals – one on Highway 4 south of 29th Street, and one north of 22nd Street and Highway 40.

“There is money out there,” Gillan said.

A city council member mentioned it would be helpful if the city could track collisions near the intersection on Territorial Drive at 15 Avenue in North Battleford over the next several months to further assess the situation.

City Manager Randy Patrick said the city can always keep the issue in mind, and try to include that need in its grant applications for this year.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW