Thursday, October 13, 2011

You can drive me crazy without a diverter

I think Councillor Heidt was correct when he stated "Every time we horse around with traffic patterns in this city we move the problems elsewhere." (SP Oct. 13/11) referring to the diverter to be installed at Avenue C and 38th Street. Its a popular short cut to the airport. It has also been used as a detour when Idylwyld has been shut down for repair or maintenance.

It brings to mind the diverter the city installed years ago at the top of the Broadway bridge to keep traffic from crossing over Broadway Avenue or turning left from Saskatchewan Crescent to go downtown. The reason this was done was because crossing over or turning left impeded the flow of traffic on the bridge. I think the better solution would have been a sign prohibiting crossing and turning during peak travel periods. Over the last year and a half this area has been shut down due to the closure of the Traffic Bridge and the construction of the lift station. Now local access is difficult and the residential detour roads have been chewed to hell thanks to the traffic flow diversion.

I wish someone had asked for a traffic study in this whole area and how to provide better access to Circle Drive and the airport for those needing to come down Idylwyld and then fixed the problem rather than simply moving it.

Until the issue of reasonable access to Circle Drive off Idylwyld is resolved travellers will find new routes to use. And the nightmare of Circle and Avenue C is only going to get worse when the new bridge opens.

The area residents may have traded in traffic flow annoyances for inconvenient neighbourhood access.

Pick your poison.

1 comment:

  1. This has been tried before and it didn't work then and it won't work now! They tried a similar stunt at F and 21st by Giant Tiger and it didn't work. There is not one person who presently lives on Avenue C that didn't move there knowing it was a busy street, but now they want to change the traffic patern to inconveniece someone else and the dim wits in the traffic dept want to oblige them. Miles is right quit meddling traffic paterns until you have a idea of what your doing. It's time for a shake up in city hall administration to much nepitism and a lack of talent.

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