Plans to reduce traffic lanes on 3 Avenue South a poor idea

By Lethbridge Herald on January 25, 2023.

Editor:

For those of us who went to the January 2023 Community Conversation at the Enmax, many were in shock to once again see plans of a rejected plan to further reduce traffic lanes on 3 Avenue South right to Mayor Magrath Drive, adding more traffic lights/pedestrian crossing lights, completely destroying the flow of traffic to downtown.

3 Avenue South is a primary traffic corridor and is the only one on the southside going from Scenic Drive all the way to Mayor Magrath which is not in residential areas. It is used by many transport trucks delivering supplies to the various businesses, not just on 3 Avenue but the downtown area.

This lane reduction was completely rejected in 2020, but once again, here it is. 

Once again, they didn’t listen!

The dedicated city employee I spoke with stated that the Crowsnest Trail can now facilitate the traffic! 

He obviously doesn’t drive in the area and is unaware just how hard it is to find a ramp entering/exiting the trail due to poor planning and lack of the number of on/off ramps. 

Tell me how it is a good idea in this city putting bike paths alongside what will be compressed traffic flow? 

Pedestrians are being hit often in this city in crosswalks and when a young family is out biking, they don’t always have control of their children.

 Add to that more traffic lights, and delayed drivers now in a hurry becoming more aggressive in their driving.

Bad idea! We have other options for bike lanes such as a very wide 2 Avenue which can connect easy with north/south flow, but the best picks are residential areas such as 4/5 Avenues, 5 Avenue South being very wide.

Has a proper study been done on how many actually use the designated 7 Avenue South lane? I have rarely seen people biking on it.

How many will use this in the winter – three or four? I heard costs of over $40 million just for the first phase of the project. 

Vehicles and transport trucks need roads and are not going anywhere soon; they are going green, not disappearing. That is a business area and not a park!

Can we even add trees/shrubs since many were removed due to the addicts? 

NO to this plan!

Barry Ewing

Lethbridge