Pedestrian and Bike Safety, and Vehicle Speed and Volumes
Further to the prioritization details we provided in the May Echo edition, we now have some updates for the two pedestrian/bike crossings at 90th Avenue and Oakside Gate and Palliser Drive and 29 Street.
We have now been advised by our Ward 11 representatives and the City Roads Department that they will be installing overhead pedestrian activated push lights at the 90th Avenue and Oakside Gate by late this year or early 2023. We really appreciate the many residents who called in to highlight the dangers at this intersection/crossing. We are still pushing for a speed reduction at this location as the lights do not help residents turning left to go west on 90th Ave. The Palliser Drive and 29 Street ‘high use’ pedestrian corridor is still under study by the City Roads Department. Some minor improvements to signs have been made here but no decision has been made on any road calming or flashing lights at this time, as it awaits the outcome of the study, and this is not expected for several months.
To bring the safety issues at these two sites to the attention of drivers, the OCA Board decided it needed to be proactive and approved some funds to erect some temporary signs for the month of May. Drivers are now alerted to the potential of children and/or adults crossing ahead. We have noticed some minor improvement already from these signs – “Hello – Children Cross Ahead” and hope there is continued improvements.
The City is also studying the right hand turn from 24 St onto 90th Avenue, as it has become more hazardous with the increased traffic, and the OCA supports this effort to improve safety for both vehicles and pedestrians.
If you are concerned about you, your kids, your friends, or your senior neighbours’ safety, please use the 311 line to request action on these road safety improvements or other changes you think would benefit our community. If you have concerns or support these measures, we would also like to hear from you at the OCA.
Regarding speeding, please contact Calgary Police Service (CPS) at https://www.calgary.ca/cps/traffic/traffic-service-requests.html.
Please keep the OCA informed of any submissions as this enables us to understand your concerns and represent your multiple perspectives.
We need Oakridge residents to actively support us by studying the engage process on the ‘Service Plans and Budget 2023-2026” at https://engage.calgary.ca/yourservices. This is where your tax dollars will be spent, so it is worth a read. We can comment back in September. Please share any “Community” related concerns with us by no later than June 30 so we can consolidate our OCA position. Many thanks.
Climate Change Emergency and OCA Mitigation
We continue to assess, and plan to coordinate some actions on growing trees, solar power, electric charging stations, etc. We are also discussing other improvements, such as bike routes between green spaces with ’Oh My Oakridge”. The OCA Board is continuing to support placing solar panels on the OCA facilities, similar to the Southland Leisure Centre and select Heritage Park Facilities. The long-term economics look attractive, and we continue to look for funding from Enmax and others for climate enhancing opportunities.
