In 2023 the City of Armstrong completed a Traffic Safety Study which identified intersection priority locations and their hazards and risk. It was recommend that the City of Armstrong focus on reducing speeds, improving pedestrian comfort, reduce pedestrian crossing times and delays, and improve overall sightlines for drivers. The Vision Zero project funding will allow the City to build upon and implement solutions from the recently completed study. Simple solutions including pavement markings, delineator posts, and/or concrete curbing and barriers will reduce and or eliminate risk.

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In June of 2023 the City of Armstrong completed a Road Safety Study. Data was collected from Transport Canada, ICBC, City records, RCMP data and fire department records. This study showed that there is significant work to be done with opportunities to influence drivers in changing behaviors, reducing speeds and increasing driver education. When analyzed the data showed that for every 1,000 people in our community 10 have been involved in a motor vehicle collision within the past 5 years within our city limits. Between 2016 and 2020 a total of 219 collisions occurred which resulted in 59 of individuals involved were injured and 160 were collisions where it was limited to property damages only. it is important to recognize that across Canada there were 1,788 deaths from motor vehicle collisions, 8,185 serious injuries (4% increase) and 108,018 total injuries (3.6% increase). Within the research data it showed that that two of the of the school zone corridors are within the top five collision prone areas of the community meaning that 7% of collisions took place within a school zone and that a further 26 of the 59 injury collisions had occurred in or near school zone. In reviewing radar data from the community as a whole, it showed that between 30 -85% of vehicles travel higher than the posted speed limit and when comparing this data to collision data which shows that 50% of injury involved collisions happened when a vehicle was going straight ahead and of that 64% of the injury collisions occurred where there were no traffic controls. This data reaffirms and emphasizes that vehicle speeds are shown to be two to four times higher when traveling a straight line and vehicles tend to gain speed when there are no traffic controls. Recognizing speeding vehicles as a risk factor, shows a vehicle traveling at a speed of 50km/h, the probability of injuries is around 90% where a reduction of speed by 10km/h could reduce injuries up to 50% which stresses the utilizing speed reduction as a key pillar for eliminating serious injuries. Within the data that was collected by the City it was recognized that 12% of the collisions involved a pedestrian. 2021 Census data identified that 6.5% of the community utilizes walking as a mode of transportation which is higher than the national overage of 6%. With steps being taken to densify affordable housing in close proximity to the schools the city foresees the number of walking individuals significantly increasing in the next 1-5 years.

The implemented intersection improvements will provide physical measures at each location, helping improve the comfort and safety of vulnerable road users, yet slowing vehicular traffic speeds, and adjusting alignments to meet more conventional standards of the day.

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Photo source: Google Maps