ATHABASCA — Athabasca County residents will have to be mindful of new and changing road signs in four areas of the county after Athabasca County councillors approved multiple changes to speed signage, speed limits, and warning signs following councillor and resident requests.
During the Sept. 12 meeting, councillors voted on multiple amendments to change speed limits and erect signage on roads surrounding Skeleton Lake, within the Colinton boundary, and between summer villages of West and South Baptiste. Councillors also reduced the speed limit on the east hill approaching Rochester, in addition to erecting appropriate warning signs.
“Council has the authority under the (traffic bylaw) to establish speed limits on the roads that we maintain and manage,” said reeve Brian Hall in a Sept. 21 interview. Interim CAO Pat Vincent said some road signage decisions are up to the CAO, but added councillors “occasionally have a better feeling and better knowledge of the situation(s).”
First on the agenda were Skeleton Lake speed signage concerns. Councillors voted 8-1 — Coun. Tracy Holland was opposed — to again change speed limits on a section of Skeleton Narrows road from 50 kilometres an hour to 60km/h, and readjust limits in the surrounding subdivsions from 30km/h to 40km/h.
Councillors noted the decision made at the June 13 council meeting to reduce the speed limit on Skeleton Narrows road, or Township Road 654 from 80km/h to 50km/h was rushed, and reeve Brian Hall said “I don’t, in hindsight, feel like I had the information I would want today to make that same decision.”
The June motion also reduced the residential subdivision speed limit from 50km/h to 30 km/h in the communities of Shadow Lane Estates, Sunset Villas, Paradise Valley, Perch Cove Estates, and Katies Cove, and called for installation of six signs indicating the new speeds.
Although the reduction initially came at the request of the North Skeleton Lake Community Association in June 2022, Interim CAO Pat Vincent described the changes as causing “nothing but problems.” He added, “it’s cost us a lot of money, and I’ve received a number of phone calls from residents in the area” voicing complaints.
Initial cost estimates put the changes at $1,000 for the cost of the new signs, installation labour and admin time, but after signs were stolen repeatedly over the last three months, the project cost has more than doubled, now estimated at $2,750, excluding admin time, community peace officer time, and any work following the Sept. 12 decision.
“One of things that I’m proud of for our council as a group is we’re not afraid to say, ‘let’s take a second look and rethink; did we get that right?” said Hall. “I think that’s pretty good.”
Colinton community petition
Councillors voted 9-0 to reduce speed limits to 40km/h and post signage along McNabb road within McNabb estates, and Range Rd. 223 within Colinton after local residents submitted an official petition with over 40 signatures.
According to the county’s traffic bylaw, maximums within town and hamlet limits are 50km/h, and while the resident petition did ask for a potential reduction, coun. Natasha Kapitaniuk noted the priority is erecting signage at whatever speed was decided.
“I think that it’s very reasonable, there is a lot of foot traffic,” said Kapitaniuk. “We need to say yes to having speed signs on these roads.”
Holland raised concerns about making another “hasty” decision, and pondered whether a trail basis could be Implemented to “ensure that we’re not going to run into the same issues we had at Skeleton (Narrows road).”
Baptiste Lake residents say hit the brakes
Councillors also passed a motion 9-0 to install speed signs for 50km/h and pedestrian warnings between the north end of the Summer Village of South Baptiste and the south end of the Summer Village of West Baptiste, after resident concerns about road safety were voiced via email to Minns.
Minns told fellow councillors the stretch of road in question does not have speed signage in place, and while residents assume the limit is 60km/h, the lack of standardization in the area has led to confusion.
“Most Summer Villages on the south end and the west side are at 40, when you drive into White Gull, it’s 40. There’s one spot in there that’s 15,” said Minns, adding the limit at Pac Beach and the main entrance to Poplar Point Estates are 50km/h.
Watch for pedestrian signs, which are already present on the section of road in question, will be added to the new speed signs once installed.
Roll into Rochester with care
Councillors also voted unanimously to reduce the speed limit on the east hill coming into Rochester after Coun. Joe Gerlach presented the request, stating the current speed of 50km/h is “just way too fast,” especially “for someone new to the area; when they come down (the hill) they need to be forewarned.”
A motion to reduce the speed limit to 40km/h and erect warning signs was put forward by Minns, but was amended when a motion from Gerlach to set the speed to 30km/h was passed 7-2, with Hall and Holland opposed.
“You’re responsible for the care and control of your car, and driving to road conditions,” said Hall. “I think the best bang for the buck is to warn people about what’s coming, not just drop the speed limit.”
Coun. Kelly Chamzuk echoed concerns voiced by Minns, and said speed limits of 30km/h should be put in place around school zones, rather than highways, to which Gerlach noted the recommendation of 30km/h came from the county public works manager.
“I think it’s irrelevant whether the speed limit is 30 or 35, because people are going to travel at whatever speed they think is safe, but again it’s for people who don’t know, and I think it would be prudent to err on the side of safety,” said Gerlach.
Vincent said installation of the new signs are expected to be finished as early as this week, and cost the county $1,000 for signs, labour, equipment, and admin time.
