A pilot project designed to reduce speeding and crashes in the southeast neighbourhood of Silver Berry is working, the numbers show.
Last October the city added all-way stop signs at 32 Street and 24 Street, curb extensions, centre medians, and two stage crossings as part of the Vision Zero Street Lab program, which allows residents to work with the city to address traffic problems in their neighbourhood.
The changes came after a 31-year-old man died after he crashed his SUV at Silver Berry Road and 32 Street in May 2022.
A 40-year-old man also died in the same area in 2016 when he crashed his dirt bike.
"For many years now Silver Berry Road has almost been considered a raceway with speeding. There's been accidents, there's been fatalities because of those accidents, and it’s been a real concern for residents living along this road," Ward Sspomitapi Coun. Jo-Anne Wright, who represents the area, told CTV News Edmonton on Friday.
The city says since the traffic calming measures were installed, there have been no injury collisions on Silver Berry Road between 28 and 32 Street.
Wright says Silver Berry residents are pleased with the result.
"They're happy now, from what I understand from speaking with people in the community league."
"Now the city is sort of finalizing what their results are, and it looks like they’ll also be putting in some raised crosswalks around Silver Berry Park," Wright said.
The all-way stops will remain permanently, the city has confirmed. Edmonton's traffic operations department is still in the process of figuring out which, if any, of the other measures will be kept.
Wright says speeding and traffic safety is a concern across many city neighbourhoods, so much so that council approved $25 million as part of its last budget for safety initiatives.
"Close to 50 intersection enhancements, improvements that will help to improve the safety of our neighbourhoods across Ward Sspomitapi and there’s hundreds being done across the city."
The city also says more changes are coming to Silver Berry as part of the Street Lab program.
"A number of traffic calming measures are being considered for the area as part of the Vision Zero Street Lab program," a spokesperson said in an email to CTV News Edmonton. "These measures will further help address the speeding, shortcutting, and pedestrian crossing concerns that residents have made us aware of. Residents can expect to see these Street Lab measures in the area this fall."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson
