4.1    Introduction

The main directive of the transportation study was to develop a comprehensive road network plan for the Town to a population horizon of 20,000 people. While the development of a network to accommodate the future population may be affected by non-auto modes of travel (transit, car pooling, walking/cycling, work from home etc.), the functionality of that network needed to accommodate every eventuality in terms of variance in auto usage. As such, the assumption that the auto would remain the dominant means of transportation for residents of the Town to the 20,000 population level would result in a plan that would meet the needs of the Town if travel patterns follow current trends. As well, if travel patterns are altered over time then the threshold for improvements would be modified, either to push them beyond 20,000 people or to accelerate them in advance of that time.  This use of a population threshold (instead of a horizon year threshold) allowed this flexibility to be built into the plan.

In terms of issues, the Town and Alberta Transportation both identified issues in need of attention, either under existing conditions or into the future. Specific issues that were addressed by the study included the following:

·        Configuration of the 5-way stop intersection of C&E Trail/54^th Avenue/53^rd Street.

·        Intersection congestion on Woodland Drive at C&E Trail and at 58^th Street.

·        Intersection congestion and upgrading on Highway 2A at Wolf Creek Drive.

·        Upgrading of the Highway 2A service road between 54^th Avenue and 63^rd Avenue.

·        Closure of Maple Drive between College Avenue and Rosedale.

·        Alternatives for continued access of 58^th Street to Highway 2.

·        Upgrading of 51^st Avenue between Highway 2A and 53^rd Street.

·        Closure of 49^th Street at Highway 12.

·        Safety of access and turning movements at Highway 2A and 49B/49C Avenues.

·        Upgrade intersection design for Highway 12/Woodland Drive West.

·        Upgraded access to the Lacombe Golf Course and adjacent north side development.

·        Traffic signal requirements at Highway 12/C&E and/or Highway 12/53^rd Street.

·        Traffic and parking in the downtown core.

·        Long term options for the reduction or elimination of heavy through traffic.

·        Upgraded intersection design at 45^th Street/Highway 12, Wolf Creek/Highway 12 and 34^th Street/Highway 12.

·        Development of street lighting and noise standards.

Bunt & Associates also identified the following additional emerging issues as a result of input received from the first Open House held on April 23^rd, 2002 as well as discussions with the Steering Committee and observations of conditions on-site:

·        Traffic volume congestion and safety issues on 50^th Street in front of the school sites between 54^th Avenue and Woodland Drive.

·        Sight distance and safety issues on Woodland Drive.

·        Intersection congestion and pedestrian safety at the 58^th Street/56th Avenue intersection.

·        Intersection safety at the Highway 12/Highway 2A intersection and the corresponding railway crossing.

The emerging issues are illustrated on Exhibit 4-1.

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