Residents on 57 Avenue between 46 Street and 43 Street are asking the town to install a four-way stop sign at the intersection of 57 Avenue and 46 Street.
At the May 14 town council meeting, George Peters spoke to council, and presented a petition signed by 24 area residents requesting something be done to slow down drivers who use 57 Avenue as a thoroughfare between the highway in the west and 43 Street in the east en route to and from the Manola Road.
“People are using it as a freeway, literally speeding 12-14 hours a day,” Peters said.
When it comes down to it, it’s an issue of public safety, he added.
“With all the children that are moving into the neighbourhood and all the seniors that have to walk across the street to get to the mailbox, we want to put a four-way stop up so we can slow the traffic down,” he said. “I’ve been at this address for 10 years, and we finally, as citizens in the area here, have had enough.”
Bringing the petition to council was Peters and his neighbours’ way of trying to force the issue and prompt the town to do something.
“And they can’t really turn it down,” he said. “If they do turn it down, well then I guess they’ll suffer the consequences at the next election.”
Peters said because the town peace officer, Jonathon Kerr, isn’t yet certified to do radar speed enforcement, and the RCMP don’t seem to be doing radar checks in town, the neighbourhood decided enough was enough.
“So we have to take it upon ourselves to see what we can do as citizens on this particular avenue to slow the traffic down,” he said.
The current arrangement at the 57 Avenue and 46 Street intersection is a pair of stop signs for north-south traffic on 46 Street. Travelling east-west on 57 Avenue, the only stop signs are at 43 Street and the highway — there is no requirement to stop crossing 46 Street.
“That way they don’t have to stop at the stop lights at the corner of 18 and 33 and the Manola road,” Peters said.
Mayor Brian Schulz said he welcomes it when people come to the town with concerns about any way the town can improve, especially if it deals with safety.
“We want to make sure that the people in town are safe,” he said. “Foremost in our minds is the safety of the people of Barrhead.”
However, he said the town can’t simply make such drastic changes to the landscape without first doing its research. Anything it does regarding road signs must be done orderly and must be enforceable.
That’s why, as a result of Peters’ presentation to council, Schulz said the town is going to discuss with its public works department and the RCMP to make sure the requested four-way stop is indeed the best solution for the problem.
The results of that consultation and examination will be presented to council at the May 28 meeting to be discussed, and a proper course of action will be put into place, Schulz said.
“We bring it back because you basically only have one chance at it,” he said. “You don’t want to make a mistake because if you start putting up signs and it’s not enforceable, then what do you do?”
While Peters is happy to see the town finally taking some action to make the traffic situation safer, he said it’s something that should not have reached this point.
“As far as I’m concerned, it should have been settled (on May 14),” he said.
