Hazardous Lake Country roads might become safer

Lake Country roads may be getting safer.

City staff put forth the option of adopting a traffic safety policy to ensure Lake Country’s streets are safe and stay safe throughout its continuing growth.

Council approved and carried the motion at Lake Country’s council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 20.

The Traffic Calming and Road Safety Policy is meant to provide guidance on the administration, planning and implementation of traffic calming initiatives.

“As the community grows and develops so too does the volume of traffic and the public expectation that the district implements measures to improve safety and reduce speeding on our roads,” the proposal, written by director of engineering Matthew Salmon, reads.

The policy’s framework is an 11-step process from the point of ideation to implementation and will require a 60 per cent up-vote from the public to proceed with road changes.

Proposed changes will also go through council first before being implemented.

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According to the document, this policy was influenced due to the current influx in public requests to implement traffic calming measures in their neighbourhoods.

In articles recently published in the Lake Country Calendar, residents spoke out about hazards and areas in which they deem are unsafe.

Resident Bruce Williams said he has contacted the district for over 20 days about repairs he thinks are needed on Beaver Lake Road and Brianne Herridge spoke about her experiences with speeding drivers near crosswalks.

The policy, Salmon wrote, will be a step in making sure these incidents happen less often.

The policy came to fruition in partnership with Watt Consulting Group, who specialize in transportation engineering.

READ MORE: Road conditions concerns ignored by district, says Lake Country resident