Making our intersections safer
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/06/2021 (702 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Many of you may be aware of the concerns surrounding the McPhillips Street and Templeton Avenue intersections.
It’s become clear that the level of traffic these intersections now handle is much more than they were originally designed for. I’ve heard your concerns about long lines of delayed vehicles and vehicle accidents in this area, and I’ve been working with City of Winnipeg staff to evaluate and introduce long-lasting solutions.
Road safety for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians continues to be a critical priority for me, and I believe we must invest in long-term safety strategies. I continue to advocate for this to departments, committees, and city council.
Last fall, I shared with you that a vehicle-turning movement count would be conducted for the McPhillips Street and Templeton Avenue intersection serving Amber Gates and Amber Trails.
Collecting this information helps city technical staff assess traffic usage, leading to recommendations regarding the types of measures needed; investments that can be made to improve the intersection.
A traffic-count study was planned for 2020 but because traffic levels were inconsistent during COVID-19 lockdowns, city staff waited until traffic had returned to pre-pandemic levels to collect the vehicle-turning-movement data.
That data has now been collected, and technical staff at the city have been working on preparing the plans for recommended changes to the intersections.
With respect to the intersection at Walmart, plans have been created to add left turn signals for all directions. A storage lane is being planned for westbound traffic turning left on to McPhillips from Templeton to allow for protected eastbound and westbound left movements. This would reduce the negative impacts of traffic at this intersection.
I’d like to thank everyone who has reached out to me with their personal experiences and ideas about this intersection.
Hearing your firsthand perspective allows me to advocate for meaningful and longstanding solutions. There are other intersections throughout our ward that we are looking at to see what can be done to make them safer for all residents.
As always, if you have any questions, comments, or ideas, you can reach me by email at devi@winnipeg.ca or by phone at 204-986-5264.
Devi Sharma
Old Kildonan ward report
Devi Sharma is the city councillor for Old Kildonan.