St. Albert to conduct road safety review after 13-year-old cyclist killed in crash

St. Albert is launching a city-wide road safety review after a 13-year-old boy was struck by a vehicle and killed while riding his bike last week.

The city said the review will address pedestrian and cyclist safety on the roads by focusing on examining and assessing roadway engineering, education campaigns, enforcement and safety best practices.

Darian Mar died in hospital on Thursday evening after he was struck by a van in the area of Gresham Boulevard and Grenfell Avenue. The teen was a long-time member of the St. Albert Rams lacrosse team, most recently playing on the Bantam A zone team.

READ MORE: Classmates grieve for 13-year-old cyclist killed in St. Albert crash: ‘he’s irreplaceable’

“Darian Mar’s death is a tragedy that has struck our very core and everyone who was involved in or impacted by the incident is devastated,” Mayor Nolan Crouse said in a media release Tuesday.

“Council needs to ensure we look at everything and ask ourselves if there is anything that we could be doing differently.”

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At a council meeting Monday night, the city unveiled its Cyclist and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, which sets out seven phases for the review. (see action plan below).

Immediate action includes conducting a detailed engineering safety assessment of the collision location. St. Albert will also ramp up enforcement on all city streets, and visit all elementary schools at the beginning of the next school year to remind students and parents about safe parking procedures, crosswalk safety and bike safety. Police also plan to increase enforcement in school zones.

Watch below: Classmates of Darian Mar share memories of the 13-year-old boy, after he was killed in a crash with a van while riding his bike in St. Albert. 

2:57 13-year-old boy killed in St Albert remembered

St. Albert City Council said some of the costs of the review will be absorbed in the existing budget. Any additional costs will be brought forward for council to debate during the 2018-2020 budget cycle.

RCMP said they do not believe drugs, alcohol or road conditions were factors in the collision. Mar was wearing a helmet at the time.

Read the City of St. Albert’s Cyclist and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan below: