Downtown Medicine Hat intersection reworking to see removal of parking spaces. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

By Jayk Sterkenburg

IN THE CITY

Reworking of problematic Medicine Hat intersection ‘detrimental’, business owner says

Mar 10, 2025 | 4:09 PM

The re-engineering of a Medicine Hat intersection has nearby businesses up in arms about the city’s priorities in the downtown core.

Third Street Southeast and Sixth Avenue Southeast has been labelled a high collision area by city road engineers, with information provided by Medicine Hat Police Service.

This is due to drivers disregarding or missing signage indicating a left lane for turning, and only the right for through travel.

Sixth Avenue southbound features a left turn lane often disregarded as a through lane. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

BUSINESS

City of Medicine Hat says it has more evidence to back rejig of problem intersection

Mar 15, 2025

IN THE COMMUNITY

Invictus Games flag travelling across Canada passes through Suffield

Mar 14, 2025

WHAT'S ON

Here is what's on this weekend in Medicine Hat and area: March 14-16

Mar 14, 2025

Sabrina Moore, owner of Kollectiv cycle studio downtown off the intersection, said a merge lane will extend past the intersection, eliminating two parking spaces.

“It comes down to accessibility for a business and if people can’t access it, often they’re going to choose to go somewhere else,” she said.

Sabrina Moore. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

Moore said that her class has already lost members due to the minimal parking available in the area, which also allows drivers to feel safe.

“If they feel like their personal safety is being compromised, then you can’t blame them,” she said.

—

READ: Downtown business owners unite over challenges

—

“Removing a third of that on-street parking is extremely detrimental for any business down here, because that just pushes people even farther away.”

Moore points out that, while labelled a high collision area, the last recorded data between 2010 and 2021 states 41 collisions took place at the intersection.

Kollectiv is located across from parking spaces that will be removed with the extension of a merge lane. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

Data shared with Moore depicting accident report of intersection by MHPS. Courtesy/Sabrina Moore

Stan Nowakowski, the city’s director of Municipal Works, said at the Development and Infrastructure Committee meeting last week that data was taken into consideration in the design work of the intersection.

“When we look at designing a road or a particular intersection, we follow best engineering practices and current standards and guidelines for traffic movements,” he said.

“We also take into consideration local businesses and stakeholder input, whether it’s the businesses or the public.”

Nowakowski said, however, that public safety is the prime concern with the intersection.

Stan Nowakowski. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

Nowakowski said the city is always looking at where inventory can be increased for on-street parking downtown.

He said in the past year and a half, two new parking spots were added in front of the former Greyhound depot, one block away from the intersection.

He said four new parking spots were also installed on Fifth Avenue, two blocks away.

City councillor Shila Sharps said she appreciates business owners that stand up and speak for themselves on these issues.

She said that, as the chair of development and infrastructure, she presented the intersection to committee and it was further established as a safety issue.

While Sharps doesn’t think the city has made business owners such as Moore feel heard, she said they’re trying.

“I know administration has just got a plan laid out, but sometimes we have to take a look at another plan, if it’s 15 years old,” she said Monday.

“I don’t believe there’s any ill intent, but it doesn’t mean that it hasn’t had repercussions that weren’t necessarily positive.”

Shila Sharps. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

Moore said that if it’s not construction that businesses are dealing with for months on end, it’s removal of parking.

She said it’s in the city’s strategic plan to reduce barriers that business owners face on a daily basis.

“Every single which way a lot of us business owners are turning, we’re hitting a brick wall,” she said.

Both Moore and Sharps said that increased visibility with signage could improve the intersection.

Sharps said that several downtown business owners also suggested a similar intersection layout to First Street and Sixth Avenue, with a median separating the road.

Moore said the removal of a lane on Sixth Avenue between Second and Third streets could create more parking and eliminate the intersection’s merge issue.

“I think actually reducing barriers would be helpful as opposed to creating them,” she said.