Coun. Morgan Nagel brought forward a notice of motion at Monday night council that has been getting significant traction on social media, as he looks to resident feedback on ways to create alternative road accesses to alleviate traffic congestion.
"Our entire town is planned to bottleneck at key intersections. We need to be planning better," said Nagel, adding that he is pleased to see an initial outpouring of feedback – both positive and negative – on his proposed motion.
The motion is looking to "explore the feasibility of an arterial connector between Highay 1A at Gleneagles Drive to Sunterra Road to Fourth Avenue to Sunset Boulevard, and a potential connection to the proposed arterial connector to Centre Avenue., and that these connections be considered for inclusion in the Municipal Development Plan.”
Nagel proposed this particular network under the advice of town CAO Dave Devana that it would be the most realistic and cost-effective option for council to explore.
The roads would cut in at Gleneagles Drive (midway up Cochrane Hill where the overpass is built), up the plateau on the hill toward Sunterra, carve down the steep hill between Sunterra and Cochrane Heights and down along what is now the end of Fourth Avenue, becoming a gravel road that travels across a decommissioned bridge and up toward the RancheHouse and finally connecting with Sunset Ridge.
Nagel stressed that "this is just the initial idea to get the conversation rolling" and that "nothing is set in stone."
For him, the take away is that Cochranites seem to be reaching a consensus that something needs to be done to provide secondary access into communities around town.
Shane Trowbridge, a Cochrane Heights resident who lives with his wife and two young children along Fourth Avenue across from Cochrane High School, is worried about the "what ifs" surrounding Nagel's coming motion.
He and his neighbours have previously shared concerns about speeding in their community and slope stability concerns behind their homes. He is also concerned about the potential linkage to the decommissioned bridge and what he feels will naturally increase traffic flow through his community.
"I just want them to take into consideration all of this stuff ... cost-effective and easy isn't always the best solution," said Trowbridge, adding that he doesn't want to see his neighbourhood bear the same congestion problems faced by those living near Mitford School in the west end of town.
Colin Wallace, a Sunterra resident, is concerned about adding pressures to the switchback hill that links to his community, noting that he could see a lot of issues with winter driving. He is also concerned on the potential impact on his family's quality of life.
"Some people like living in a busy, active neighbourhood and others like peace and quiet," he said, indicating he is of the latter mindset. "Putting a road where Coun. Nagel is suggesting would impact us negatively."
Nagel said his intention is to open up a bigger conversation.
"In no way am I saying I'm committed to a specific route," said Nagel, acknowledging that most of the negative feedback stems from Cochrane Heights and Sunterra residents.
"I think people want to get information on all the options and I think before I bring this back to council I would like to expand this motion."
Steven Uren, a Heartland resident of one year, said that while he is uncertain if the proposed route near Sunterra is the right place to start, he's just glad the dialogue is opened up.
"Any plan to alleviate traffic at the 1A/22 intersection is a good plan," said Uren, adding that it's a "step in the right direction."
"I want public consultation on this. I want everyone to have a say in this," he said, adding that with the backlog of traffic along Highway 1A (particularly in the summertime from Ghost Lake and further west) just going to the grocery store is cumbersome and he is worried about access for emergency vehicles along that congested roadway.
"I think it's a great idea," said Clint Frearson, a Sunset Ridge resident of five years. "I think instead of going through Sunterra it would be better to go through near the cemetery."
Frearson, a tour bus operator, said the congestion at the intersection at highways 1A/22 can "get ugly" and that he and his wife both face commuter frustration into Calgary, where delays are significantly amplified if there are accidents along the main corridor.
He also stressed that the secondary access to Sunset Ridge would be "years away" and applauded Nagel for his efforts to expedite solutions in the interim.
As far as Mayor Jeff Genung is concerned, the more talk about traffic calming solutions, the better.
"We're looking at traffic and how to make it better ... why wouldn't we look at it and be open to other ideas," said Genung.
Nagel has said that he will be looking to broaden the scope of his motion, ahead of taking it back to council.
