This school season, the City is trialling innovative traffic safety upgrades near Highlands School, which are focused on lowering speeds on arterial roads near schools at key times of day. The upgrades aim to address traffic safety concerns, such as pedestrian safety and driver speeds, raised by nearby residents and the school community.
The City launched a pilot project along 118 Ave NW, an arterial road adjacent to the Highlands School, due to the following considerations:
- Historically, arterial roadways are designed to carry higher volumes of traffic.
- Arterial roads adjacent to schools are not designated as playground zones and, as a result, do not have reduced speed limits when school is in session.
Upgrade details
The upgrades aim to improve the safety of all road users walking, biking and rolling to and from the school, and include:
- Rapid flashing beacons - Activate a 30 km/h speed limit zone when beacons are flashing, reducing the risk of crashes and pedestrian injuries.
- Dragon’s teeth pavement markings - Visually narrow the road to encourage slower driver speeds and notify drivers they are entering a school area.
- ‘School’ pavement markings - Notify drivers that they are approaching a school area.
- Refreshed crosswalk markings and safety posts around pedestrian signals - Encourage slower driver speeds on approach to the pedestrian crossing and improve the visibility of the crosswalk.
- Speed check signs - Visually indicate if a vehicle is travelling above the speed limit, encouraging safer driver speeds and compliance with the posted speed limit.
The City will continue to monitor traffic data in the area to determine if any adjustments are needed. The results of this pilot will help inform how the City addresses traffic safety at schools, especially around schools located closer to arterial roads where designated playground zones are not available. Residents can inform the City about any operational challenges or maintenance needs related to the installed measures by calling 311.
We all share responsibility in achieving Vision Zero, the goal of eliminating serious injuries and fatalities on our roads. Drivers play a particularly important role in protecting vulnerable road users, especially students, by slowing down, allowing extra travel time and staying alert to their surroundings.
There have been an unprecedented amount of road accident fatalities this year. The City urges all residents to put safety first and help prevent further tragedies by making safer choices every time they travel.
