Pilot project slowed traffic, improved safety: study

Pilot project shows drop in speeding

One in four drivers reported delays of 10 minutes on their morning commute through the contentious Jasper Avenue pilot project last summer.

The official stopwatches? Two minutes.

That discrepancy between perception and reality was one finding city officials released Thursday when they reported on their ongoing effort to redesign Edmonton’s premier downtown street.

Officials suggest some drivers felt the delay more keenly because of how quickly the pilot project was implemented.

Temporary concrete barriers and tree pots went up almost overnight, tightening the turning radius at the intersections and shortening crosswalks for pedestrians. Small parks and picnic tables were an extra, an attempt to give residents a sense of how livable the street could become if it were redesigned.

Overall, it was a successful test, said Rob Gibbard, director of transportation and design. It confirmed general traffic delays, proved the changes would decrease speeding and gave the team data to improve the permanent design.

They also gathered data that illustrated just how prevalent pedestrians are on the corridor. During the lunch break, there are actually more people walking than driving on Jasper Avenue east of 109 Street.

The team spent eight days measuring volume and vehicle travel delays during the pilot project, recording delays by driving repeatedly up and down the corridor at the busiest times of the day.

“We got lots of good feedback ... It was really good to see the speed reduction,” said Gibbard, pointing to a 10-per-cent reduction in speeding.

Compliance with the 50 km/h limit was 73 to 79 per cent before the pilot project and 86 to 95 per cent during the pilot. That increased safety for everyone, he said.

Police recorded 20 property-only collisions and one minor injury collision during the three-month pilot project. The five-year average for that stretch of Jasper Avenue (109 Street to 115 Street) is 100 collisions a year, including 25 that cause injury.

None of the collisions during the pilot involved cyclists or pedestrians.

The update goes to city council’s executive committee next Tuesday. If approved, city engineers will refine the design and prepare a capital budget request for consideration this fall. They estimate it will cost $67 million, if they include a storm sewer upgrade and high-tech soil structures to support mature trees.

“I hope we can design a really great street for walking,” area Coun. Scott McKeen said, pointing out the local neighbourhood of Oliver has 20,000 residents and is the most population-dense in the city.

But the final design should use updated traffic signals, turning limitations or other tools to reduce vehicle congestion, he added. “Bigger cities have learned how to be more sophisticated.”

City officials made one big change to the pilot project halfway through the summer. They re-installed a right-turn bay for eastbound traffic turning south on 109 Street.

That single change was causing the most congestion, even during off-peak hours. But the reversal upset pedestrians, who felt the intersection was dangerous.

They were right. The city brought in video-analytics, which found 48 close calls between people walking and driving in just one 24-hour study period. Thirty-eight per cent of those were considered severe, where the potential for collision was high.