City committee approves speed study on Chief Mistawasis bridge corridor

Saskatoon’s transportation committee decided to do a speed study on the Chief Mistawasis bridge and connecting roadways.

The decision was made at Monday’s committee meeting after a report showed the north bridge sees only 9,900 vehicles per day on average, making it Saskatoon’s least-used crossing within city limits.

Committee Chair Zach Jeffries said there were parts of the report that frustrated him.

He said some of the rationale when it comes to the differing speed limits is tough for the average traveler.

“We know the rationale behind it, but we’re sitting there and we’re still frustrated, imagine how people that don’t know that rationale behind those decisions are feeling. They’re feeling even more frustrated than we are.”

The area is expected to grow around the swale. Yet, Jeffries said it’s still frustrating.

“I have to admit, that if I’m driving McOrmond going from 60 to 50 in an undeveloped area, to 50 in a field, 60 to 70, back down to 60 on Marquis if I’m going to SaskTel Centre, I kinda throw up my hands as a driver.”

Counc. Randy Donauer said residents tell him they avoid the stretch of roadway.

“I hear all the time about people refusing to use that bridge and the drive because of the speed limit … ‘Nice road, great job, beautiful bridge, I’ll never drive it because you make me go too slow.'”

Donauer also defended the city at the meeting. He said the bridge isn’t for the present, but for the future.

“We get criticized regularly for not planning far enough out … That drive will almost completely be surrounded by city development over the next generation, either residential or (commercial), and some of it’s the swale.”

He said the administration will look like ‘geniuses’ a generation from now, because of the focus on the future.

Counc. Bev Dubois was worried about the cost of the additional study, but Administration said it would be an internal study.

“While I want the information, and the public wants it too, I don’t want to have a large extra budget item,” she said.

Counc. Cynthia Block also asked for a comparison of traffic volumes on the study.

Counc. Sarina Gersher made it clear that she was voting for the motion to look more in-depth into wildlife collisions.

“It won’t be my intention to look at increasing speeds along that segment of roadway, specifically the parts that go through the swale.”

The motion for the study was unanimously voted in favour by the committee.

Bicycle Bylaw Update set for November 18

One of the key items on Monday’s agenda was the Bicycle Bylaw Update. The report looked at changes to the current bylaws.

Those proposed changes included updated regulations on how close vehicles could be to cyclists, loosening rules around bike lanes and allowing children 14 and under to ride on the sidewalk free of consequences.

The committee ultimately ran out of time for the item, and voted in favour to move the update to council’s regular general meeting on November 18.

That meeting is usually reserved for the final Monday of the month but due to Budget Deliberations from November 25 to 27, it was pushed back one week.