Council won’t ask for highway intersection lights

By Mickey Dumont – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In response to a citizen’s request to install traffic lights in the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 520 in Claresholm, Town of Claresholm council decided not to advocate on the resident’s behalf.
“With the McDonald’s now being open, I believe it’s appropriate to start a conversation about the intersection of Highway 520 and Highway 2,” said a letter to Claresholm town council.
The citizen also wrote Livingstone-Macleod MLA Chelsae Petrovic and Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen. In the letter to the local MLA, it was explained, “I have been trying to be a voice for the installations of traffic lights, especially in light of the new McDonalds location. Although I understand this is a provincial issue, this is the response that I have gotten. I’m hoping and wishing for the town to advocate with me.”
“It’s an already dangerous intersection and with the McDonald’s now being located there, it will only get worse. I believe that intersection could have used traffic lights for a long while, and now I’m pursuing it,” Slade said in the letter to council. “I have initiated talks with our MLA Chelsae Petrovic and the Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen. At this point I just need the town council’s backing.”
In response to Slade’s letter, Karine Keys, Town of Claresholm finance assistant and communications administrator, invited Slade to “write a letter or email directed to council and let them know what you are pursuing and what you would like council to do.”
“I can confirm that the town has asked for a traffic light in that location before and has been denied by Alberta Transportation,” she added. “However, that may change going forward with McDonald’s being at that intersection.”
“The planning department has been in active conversation with Alberta Transport during the planning of the McDonald’s and there was a traffic impact assessment or analysis conducted,” said Town of Claresholm Chief Administrator Officer Abe Tinney. “Signalization was discussed extensively during that plan and it did note that signalization is recommended within the next 10 to 15 years. Alberta Transport approved, from their perspective, the development (of the McDonald’s restaurant) without recommending that signalization happen at this time” Added Tinney, “administratively we’re recommending that we don’t advocate for that.”
In town councillors’ information package, Tinney outlined, “town administration has been in discussion with Alberta Transportation (AT) for many years in regards to this intersection, safety, crossing, and potential signalization. Both highways, even though they do cross within the town’s boundary are still under the authority of Alberta Transportation. It would be for that provincial body to approve any warranted signalization.”
As part of the McDonald’s development permit process, town administration reviewed a traffic impact analysis and participated in over a dozen meetings with Alberta Transportation “to ensure the successful implementation of the permit process and mitigate as much as possible the impact to traffic. The analysis tracked numbers, and made recommendations on when signalization may be required. It has been noted within the plan that potential signalization may be required within the next 10-15 years. Alberta Transportation is aware of the study and both them and the town can begin discussions regarding implementation. However, it will be Alberta Transportation that drives the process as it is their major highway intersection (along with the town).”
Tinney added the town may be responsible for the cost of installing lights if it is something that it pushes for before it is required by Alberta Transportation.
Tinney said at the Oct. 15 meeting “there could be unintended consequences of signalization.” As an example, he said motorists could be running red lights when the other traffic or pedestrians presume traffic has stopped.
“When you think it will solve one problem other problems may occur,” Tinney said. “A red light causes surges of traffic and backs up traffic to block entrances, exits. Then there are surges of traffic or traffic waiting for pedestrians that actually can decrease flow. Again, all of these factors, etc. have been studied within the traffic impact analysis and conversations with AT. Of course, no one wants an incident to occur and moving forward any impacts will continue to be discussed.
“Again, the development department’s recommending the town doesn’t advocate along with this resident. I’d rather stay in contact with Alberta Transport on potential signalization in the future.”
“I think it’s very important for people to know that we have been in touch with Alberta Transportation during all these processes,” said Town of Claresholm Mayor Brad Schlossberger. “We meet a lot with Alberta Transportation and I think it just needs to be out there that it’s not something that just happened.”