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Traffic lights going up

Black Diamond is getting its first set of traffic lights this year, with more on the way.

Black Diamond is getting its first set of traffic lights this year, with more on the way.

Alberta Transportation has identified the four-way stop at Highways 7 and 22 as a high priority for traffic lights in a study looking at large traffic volumes on the two roads in the community.

The study also addresses the need for highway widening, turning lanes and more traffic lights for 10, 20 and 30-year scenarios in anticipation for growth in commercial development downtown and residential development east and south of town.

Sharlene Brown, Black Diamond chief administrative officer, said she agrees that traffic lights are needed at the busy intersection.

“Over the years there has been quite a few concerns of near misses or people who don’t necessarily obey all the traffic rules around the four-way stop,” she said. “Every year there is new concerns coming in about that four-way stop. There’s been a few near misses but there is no tragedies at that particular spot.”

Brown said an average of 10,000 vehicles drive through the four-way stop each day and the Town needs to be prepared for that number increasing as the community grows.

The Alberta Transportation study provided data showing six collisions with property damage and one minor collision occurred at the intersection from 2008 to 2012.

Brown said while it’s important to address these safety issues, traffic lights will mean losing a piece of history that gives Black Diamond its small town feel.

“It’s that whole small town, kind of connected community,” she said. “Once you start throwing traffic lights in there it’s a visual perception that you are no longer the small town that you once were.”

According to the study, conventional signal lights cannot be installed at the busy intersection due to the proximity of existing infrastructure and therefore another method will have to be used such as “stringing up” lights.

“They need to figure out where to put a pole that it’s not going to impede safety for both pedestrians and automobiles,” she said.

In the next 10 years the study reveals a need to limit on-street parking in certain areas of the downtown core, install traffic lights at the intersections of Highway 7 and 6 St. East and 3rd St. East and West and create turning lanes west and northbound at the intersection of Highway 22 and 7.

Among the plans for 20 years is twinning Highways 7 and 22 and installing traffic signals at the intersection of Highway 22 and 4th Ave. South.

In 30 years, it requires removing on-street parking in portions of downtown, traffic lights at Highway 22 and 4th Ave. South and completing a ring road to bypass Black Diamond, as well as creating turning lanes for various intersections.

Brown said the Town and council plans to have conversations with Alberta Transportation to discuss the study.

“There’s some long term pieces council wants to have addressed and put their concerns forward,” she said. “Part of the study says twinning Highway 7 through town and potentially Highway 22. What are we going go do with our traffic and parking and those kinds of things?

“The ring road is another thing council wants to have a conversation around. Are we in agreement with all of these pieces that they put out here or is there something else we can look at?”

The Town will use the study to plan for future infrastructure as it creates its municipal development and annexation plans.

The Town of Black Diamond provided Alberta Transportation with a proposal of land use and development density to assist in the study - which assumes a linear growth rate of 2.5 per cent in Black Diamond.

“It’s quite an enlightening and important study for the Town to understand what the impact of growth will be,” planning and development officer Rod Ross told council at its June 15 meeting.

“Nothing is written in stone, but it’s good information for the Town to use as we move forward with our plan.”

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