The analysis undertaken by Bunt & Associates identified a number of necessary and recommended changes to the current Long Term Road Network plan in place at the Town. The expected 20,000 population horizon traffic volumes result in the need for a number of specific improvements, including the following:

Roadway Classification and Sizing

It is recommended that the Town adopt a formal roadway classification guideline, applicable to the construction of new roadways. The basic design parameters for each recommended roadway type are summarized in Table 8.6. Note that these parameters are intended to function as a guide for the Town to use in assessing right of way requirements in new subdivisions. Growth beyond 20,000 people may result in the need for some of the roadways in the Town to be upgraded beyond the recommended classification shown on Exhibit 8-5 and as outlined in this table.

Four Lane Roadways

In order to accommodate the ambient growth in Town-generated traffic as well as through traffic, several roadways within the Town will experience traffic volumes and trip purposes that lend themselves to expansion to four lanes including the following:

·        Highway 12 throughout the Town

·        Highway 2A throughout the Town

·        West Side Road north of Highway 12 to 63^rd Avenue

·        63^rd Avenue in the new development area west of 58^th Street and south to Highway 12

·        Wolf Creek Drive between Highway 2A and 46^th Avenue

Of these five roadways, the Highway 12 increase to four lanes is by far the most contentious among the businesses and residents of the Town. Considerable resistance to widening Highway 12 to four lanes was received at Open House #2, both due to objections over the removal of parking as well as the concern about dividing the community and the perception (real or otherwise) that the increase from two to four travel lanes would creating an unsafe environment for pedestrians and motorists.

Notwithstanding the objections received at Open House #2, Bunt & Associates continues to recommend the accommodation of four lanes on Highway 12 with the following qualifiers:

·        The Town should therefore review the feasibility of eventually providing a downtown parking facility placed strategically so as to serve the downtown businesses in as effective a manner as possible.

·        It is recommended that pedestrian corridors be identified along Highway 12 prior to increasing the laning to four lanes so as to provide safe crossing locations for pedestrians.

The Town and Alberta Transportation should monitor daily traffic volumes annually along Highway 12 at several locations so as to determine (a) the locations where the 10,000 vehicle per day threshold is met, (b) whether or not the increase in lanes is necessary in both the eastbound and westbound directions, and (c) whether or not the need for four lanes is limited to peak period conditions that could lend themselves to allow parking at certain times of the day while prohibiting it at other times of the day.

Woodland Drive Congestion and the Importance of 63^rd Avenue

Woodland Drive will be operating effectively at-capacity as a Primary Collector by the 20,000 population horizon, but future development of the lands west of 58^th Street beyond the 20,000 population horizon represents the next logical annexation area for the Town. This will drive the need to construct the 63^rd Avenue extension west of 58^th Street to better service this future development area in advance of the development of that area. In fact, the 63^rd Avenue extension is required by the 20,000 population horizon not only from its existing terminus west to 58^th Street, but also beyond 58^th Street to intersect with Woodland Drive west of 58^th Street so as to relieve the pressure on Woodland Drive as illustrated on Exhibit 8-5. Also, the closure of Maple Drive north of Rosedale could be accommodated once the 63^rd Avenue connector is in place. To do so prior to the completion of 63^rd Avenue would encourage unnecessary short cutting of traffic through the college.

C&E Trail/50^th Street Congestion and the Importance of Re-connecting C&E  Trail

C&E Trail north of Woodland Drive, and 50^th Street south of Woodland can be expected to function near to or at capacity at the 20,000 population horizon. If C&E Trail could be re-connected, then local traffic could be more effectively distributed. The review of the proposed road network at the 20,000 population horizon identified considerable benefits to re-connecting this roadway so as to make C&E Trail once again continuous through the Town. It is therefore recommended that the Town pursue opportunities to re-connect this roadway prior to the 20,000 population horizon, and further, that the Town undertake a conceptual design exercise to determine the necessary right of way and other requirements as soon as possible.

58^th Street at Highway 2

The maintenance of this connection and/or the development of an interchange at this location are not vital to the success of the Town road network at the 20,000 population horizon.

However, it is recommended that the Town and Alberta Transportation pursue a long term goal of incorporating a grade separation over Highway 2 at this location, but without access to or from Highway 2 itself. The need for this interchange would also be reduced if a slip ramp was to be provided to the proposed highway commercial development zone adjacent to Highway 2 between 58^th Street and Highway 2A.

It is noted that both the concept of an interchange and a slip ramp are contrary to current Alberta Transportation policy and negotiations between the Town and AT would be necessary at such time as these improvements are contemplated.

South By-pass

The south east by-pass has merit as a road network element, and although not specifically required to accommodate traffic volumes at the 20,000 population horizon, it does represent a possible means of reducing truck traffic within the Town. As such, it is recommended for inclusion into the 20,000 population road network.

The south west section of this by-pass would not be expected to carry a significant volume of traffic and it would be very expensive to construct. As such, there is limited utility and likely motivation to undertake the development of the west section of the south by-pass. A desirable option in lieu of the southwest by-pass would be the provision of an internal east/west route within the Town south of Highway 12. It is recommended that the Town pursue the development of 46^th Avenue west to 58^th Street but that it clearly be designated as closed to truck traffic west of Highway 2A.

Additional Signalization

Growth in traffic volumes will clearly necessitate the signalization of a number of key intersections throughout the Town. This will be required as a matter of course and the Town will need to monitor traffic volumes and accident frequency in order to prioritize the signalization process on an on-going basis. Based on the forecasts developed for the 20,000 population horizon, Bunt & Associates has developed a preliminary prioritization program for signalization to the 20,000 population horizon. This is illustrated here in Table 8.7. It is recommended that the Town undertaken annual data collection program to collect traffic and pedestrian volumes during weekday AM and PM peak periods at all of these intersections. Signal warrants should then be undertaken annually so as to maintain a priority for signalization.

Further Upgrades to Highway 2A Service Road

If not managed well, the access points of a frontage road to the highway and local road network can become collision prone locations as there is minimal separation between the edge of the highway and the frontage road intersection.  Given the volume of traffic that accesses the highway commercial land uses along the frontage road as well as the local traffic traveling through on the local road network, there are a significant amount of conflicts that occur in a relatively small area

It is recommended that the Woodland Drive, Dicken’s Lane and 63^rd Avenue intersections be geometrically upgraded as outlined in Exhibits 8-7A through 8-7C.

Highway 12 Intersection Improvements

By the 20,000 population horizon it is expected that Highway 12 will be a continuous four lane urban highway from east of Highway 2A to just east of Wolf Creek Drive. It is recommended that intersections be upgraded at Woodland Drive, Wolf Creek Drive and 45^th Street as per the geometric design concepts shown in Exhibits 8-8A through 8-8C. It should be noted that the development of adjacent lands on the north side of Highway 12 in this area will necessitate the development of a service road along the north side of Highway 12. Depending upon the nature of development, a service road may also be required along the south side of Highway 12 as well.

The Town should undertake a functional design study for Wolf Creek Drive/Highway 12 in order to confirm the workability of the intersection given the constraints associated with the adjacent railway crossing and the impact on the accessibility of the lands on either side of Wolf Creek Drive at this location.

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