LETTER: Canmore intersection well-designed, but driver compliance main issue

Editor:

In regard to the letter "Infamous Canmore intersection a positive in community" by Peter Lemieux in the Sept. 19 edition of the Outlook.

While this letter to the editor shares some good insight about a major traffic bottleneck in Canmore, I have to question his validity on a number of points. I’m not sure of his credentials or how much time he spends observing traffic and pedestrian habits at this intersection, but my observations are quite contrary to Peter’s.

First of all, let me state that my wife and I live quite close to this area and frequent the intersection by foot, car and bike numerous times a day.   

Here’s what we observe multiple times a day:

Vehicles stopping at the respective white line:

1. At least one vehicle per light cycle fails to stop at the white stop line and usually end up over the cross walk.
2. The main culprits are west bound traffic on Bow Valley Trail.
3. When vehicles pass the stop line, they are unable to see the appropriate lights and create a safety issue.

Illegal right turn on red:

1. Again, at least one vehicle per light cycle makes an illegal right turn on red.
2. The main offenders are westbound Bow Valley Trail.
3. Pedestrian safety is a critical issue because of this.
4. Signs posted are not visible enough.

Running red lights:

1. My observation is that this is an Alberta wide problem that drivers continue to practice in Canmore. “Yellow” does not mean speed up.
2. This light is long because of its complexity, adding to the drivers’ frustration level.
3. The railway crossing increases the wait time and changes the light cycle.

In summary, I would say that the intersection is well designed, given its geographical boundaries. The problem is lack of driver compliance.

While we have only lived in Canmore for two years, we have seen the problems compound. Drivers are frustrated by the amount of traffic in paradise, which precipitates bad driving habits. We have witnessed many close calls with pedestrians and it’s only a matter of time before someone dies.

Canmore is adding over 12,000 residents in the near future and now is the time to solve this. It won’t get better on its own. The town must be proactive.

Please prioritize RCMP presence and ticketing.

Thanks for listening,

Art Stoller,

Canmore