Pleasantview traffic chaos not surprising, some residents say
People living in Edmonton's Pleasantview community say they warned the city that a new traffic calming measure in their neighbourhood would cause car chaos, but the plan went ahead anyway.
"I was against it because I mean all of a sudden all the traffic is being funneled through here," said Meghan Cox, who lives just metres away from the barricades the city put up last weekend.
The barricades are near 56th Avenue, forcing drivers heading south on 106th Street to turn east. The plan was to prevent cars from using the street as a shortcut.
But Cox says all it has done is cause confusion, with drivers ignoring signs, travelling the wrong way and getting lost on side streets.
She said the problem has become so bad that she's resorted to putting up a handmade "No U-Turn" sign, due to the number of drivers getting turned around.
"We put up a sign because everyone comes flying down here and does a U-turn at our intersection or on somebody's driveway," Cox said.
She's not alone. When the city presented Pleasantview with the traffic management plan earlier this year, it was met with "significant" opposition.
A report prepared from an April 30 meeting with the community found that the majority of people didn't think the city's plan would be effective.
"Respondents are not supportive of the traffic calming plan and indicate they do not expect to be comfortable with the trial measures presented, do not think the measures will be effective in decreasing traffic safety issues and are concerned about the impact of the measures in their community," the report read.
It went on to say that people felt the new plan would mean greater traffic on side streets, safety and noise concerns, and that it would be more difficult for residents to access their homes and business. All are predictions that Pleasantview residents now say have come true.
The report also notes that city councillors received a "Statement of Concern" over the plan in June which had 260 signatures.
However, others say the new measures are worth a try. Stuart Tate, a member of the Pleasantview Traffic Committee, said while there was strong opposition to the plan, other meetings over several years found a lot of support for the idea.
"It was taken into consideration. It wasn't the only meeting we had, there were many, many meetings," he said.
"It was summed together and decided that something needed to be done about the speeds and the volumes in the community to try and adjust and see how it goes." he said.
Since the barricades are just a trial project, he thinks it should be allowed to run its course to see if problems ease.
If problems continue, Tate said, changes to the plan will be made.
