By Ashley Wiebe

Redcliff council defeats motion to add another 4-way stop, mini-roundabout

Sep 12, 2017 | 3:48 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Neighbours on one Redcliff block are frustrated with the traffic on their street, while others might say there’s a roundabout solution to keep kids safe.

Many have taken their complaints to the mayor, saying vehicles are constantly speeding down Sixth Street SE and they’re worried about the safety of their kids.

Mayor Ernie Reimer thought he may have found a solution, but all of council voted against him at the town council meeting held Monday night.

“Redcliff likely is the stop sign capital of the world,” said councillor Larry Leipert. “It seems we have a lot of stop signs in Redcliff.”

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Leipert said that’s one reason town council voted 6-1 against the idea of another 4-way stop.

Reimer said traffic along Sixth Street SE slows down to 30 kilometres per hour in front of Lions Park, and changes back to 50 km/h a block later. But the road naturally slopes downwards, which he said causes people to pick up speed, even though there is a stop sign at 6th Avenue SE.

“My proposal was to remove that 4-way stop and then move it up here,” Reimer said.

Another suggestion included the idea of install a mini-roundabout on a trial basis.

“The reason being, for all the children that are in this area,” he said. “There’s tons of them, there’s probably 30-35 kids here.”

“It seems like a speedway, they just fly by nonstop,” said Kristal Fournier, who lives on the corner of Sixth Street and Fifth Avenue. “There’s so many kids and they always play on this corner, it seems.”

Fournier said she has four busy boys who love playing outside.

“They like to play soccer outside, they ride their bikes, they have some scooters they ride, they have roller blades, so they’re not just in the backyard, they are out on the sidewalks and stuff,” she said.

“They can run out into the street, chasing a ball, or things like that,” Reimer added.

But Leipert said that’s not enough of a reason to put up more stop signs or construct a roundabout.

“It could set a precedent that anybody that wanted to shut the traffic down on a street would just ask for a traffic control device like this,” he said.

Reimer hopes residents take it upon themselves to start a petition, saying that might get councils attention.

It’s an idea Fournier said she would support, but Leipert said it might not be enough.

“I would have to see that there was some actual professional involvement in it that said it was needed there and that it was supported,” Leipert said.

“This is just a bump in the road, as far as I’m concerned,” said Reimer.