Residents warn city that red light timing at south LRT intersection needs changes
Residents living near the new south Valley Line LRT want the city to change the way signal lights work to improve safety for pedestrians and motorists.
Mill Woods resident Les Deaveu calls the intersection of 28 Avenue and 66 Street "dangerous" near the new LRT station and transit centre, as the two sets of tracks and multiple lanes of arterial traffic combine.
"At least daily, when I go through here, there's been somebody stopped on the tracks," Deaveu said.
In his view, the way the intersection is designed and the timing of red lights leaves drivers with no choice but to stop on the train tracks or run a red light.
"I've even basically had to run a red light once myself," Deaveu added. "I had to do something.
"I wasn't stopping on the tracks because the LRT's going back and forth, and once you're past the first one, you have to finish."
As CTV News Edmonton was on-scene at the intersection Monday, two different drivers rolled down their windows, saying if video crews stayed there all day, they'd likely catch a crash with an LRT and vehicle.
The company responsible for building the newest leg of the LRT, TransEd, says that intersection and every other one along the Valley Line have been designed to "provide sufficient time" for vehicles to pass through.
"Typically, the all-red condition at intersections in Edmonton is two to three seconds long," a TransEd statement read. "At 28 Avenue, when more time is needed for a vehicle to clear the LRT tracks, the all-red time is about six seconds."
The long-delayed line is still undergoing train testing. Adam Laughlin, deputy city manager, says work to optimize the red light timing is "ongoing."
"While we anticipate this will improve intersection performance, traditional travel patterns motorists are accustomed to may change," Laughlin added.
"It's important for all road users to follow traffic signs and signals, and not enter intersections to turn once the light has changed to yellow," he said. "Drivers are not forced to stop on the tracks.
"Drivers need to treat the track area as part of the intersection, and once they have passed the stop line, then they need to clear the intersection."
"I've lived in other places, and when they don't have proper gates coming down, accidents happen," explained Matthias Lindemann, who lives in the area. "I've seen too many of them."
"It is a dangerous intersection, and I do think it is an easy problem to fix," he added. "The problem is, will the city spend the money to do it."
According to the city, to date, there have been five reported "minor" crashes between southeast testing trains and vehicles "not obeying traffic signs."
The city was unable to provide collision data for intersections along the Capital and Metro lines by deadline for comparison.
Laughlin says the city will soon launch the second phase of its information safety campaign, reminding motorists about the redesigned intersections along the Valley Line.
"We take the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists very seriously," he explained. "Valley Line Southeast LRT is a new low-floor transit system for Edmonton designed to be more integrated into neighbourhoods. This style of LRT system is common in many other cities, and purposefully designed with smaller-scale infrastructure."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.