In the coming months, construction crews will be moving in to the tree-lined Strathcona/Mill Creek community and one resident is worried about the “pollution” that will be left behind.
“We’re on the corner of new bike lane and new bike lane,” explained Brian Olesky as he described the changes coming.
Olesky lives on a corner lot and as part of reconstruction, bike lanes will be implemented along the street and avenue in front of his home.
Multiple street signs will also be installed to delineate between the lanes and the street, and show the lower speed limit.
“We found our corner here, which currently has around four signs, is going to have 20 signs.”
“We don’t like it.”
Olesky doesn’t want to see a repeat of what happened on 106 street.
“We can see the city coming in, putting in all these signs, finding out there’s resistance from the neighbourhood and then coming in and taking all the signs out — which is a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Watch below: In a 15-block span, there are about 220 traffic signs along 106 Street in south Edmonton. Why so many signs? (Filed November 2018).
In November, Global Newscounted more than 200 street signs along the stretch of road in south Edmonton.
A month later, city officials acknowledged the redundancy and some signs were removed.
“We’ve really heard loud and clear that the idea of clutter is not anything anybody wants,” said Ward 8 Councillor Ben Henderson who represents the Strathcona/Mill Creek area.
Henderson said safety has to be the goal.
“From what I understand, we’re really working to minimize these in a way that’s legal and safe.”
“We think it’s so many signs it’s actually distracting to drivers and maybe even unsafe.”
Olesky questions the addition of the bike lane infrastructure pointing to a lane already in place a few blocks south of his home on 83 Avenue.
“We’re kind of at the end of our rope; you can’t fight city hall in a lot of cases.”
Neighbourhood renewal in Olesky’s area starts this construction season.