Traffic lights to replace four-way stop signs

A planned $2-million improvement to Industrial Road includes the replacement of the four-way stop signs with a set of $200,000 traffic lights.

The proposed upgrade will involve a $1.8-million upgrade to the road surface, as well as $250,000 for installation of an underground watermain running from the Two Mile Hill pump station to the four-way stop sign intersection.

Property owners will be expected to pick up $608,980 of the cost in local improvement charges, calculated on the basis of $849.14 cents per metre, with the remaining $1.19 million coming from general city coffers.

Cal Murdoch, a partner in the Tirecraft business, said this morning he was initially concerned with the proposed road improvement, if not for anything else, because of the $48,000 cost to his business.

After a meeting with the city’s engineering department, however, Murdoch said, he was feeling pretty comfortable with the proposal.

He pointed out it involves rounded curbs and gutters which improve access to his property, a sidewalk on the opposite side of the road and a centre turning lane.

Most of all, Murdoch said, the improvement will mean raising the road elevation to its proper height - correcting a problem caused by the Yukon government in 1991 - so that long recreational vehicles no longer get hung up entering his property.

The new traffic lights will likely slow down traffic moving up and down Industrial Road but will mean an increase in traffic flow for larger volumes of vehicles moving along Quartz Road, Murdoch said.

Property owners will have the option of financing their share of the cost over 15 years through the standard financing provisions for local improvement charges.

City council will vote next week on the proposed project and local improvement costs.

Clive Sparks, director of city operations, told council Monday evening the installation of the watermain is not part of the local improvement charge but rather is required as an infrastructure upgrade to handle the growth in the Marwell industrial area.

The watermain work will stop at the intersection, only to be continued with further upgrading along Industrial Road in the future, he said.

It makes sense, Sparks added, to install the new section of watermain while the road is already dug up.

Asked if other utilities like power and communication will be buried at the same time, Sparks said there’s been some discussion about it, though it doesn’t appear likely.

CommentsAdd a comment

Nile

Feb 20, 2008 at 12:35 am

Are the people of Whitehorse really such poor drivers that they can’t operate a four way stop! It’s projects like this that raise everyones property tax. This is just another make work project like the round-abouts. Whitehorse needs a competent mayor and city council this has gotten too ridiculous!

Jon Gelinas

Feb 20, 2008 at 9:30 am

Bad idea!

Apart from the busy morning and after work rush of traffic this intersection functions quite well. The ‘rush’ lasts about 1/2 hour at either time of day. The other 23hrs of the day there is no need for a traffic light. If I’m driving this section of road any time other than the morning and after work commute I don’t want to have to sit idling in my car at -30 waiting for a light to turn green.

Although the infrastructure sounds like a good idea the inclusion of a light is unnecessary.

Is this one of the things they were talking about raising City taxes for?

Gene Brown

Feb 20, 2008 at 4:19 pm

Why don’t they do what’s really needed and put a turn signal traffic light at 2nd and main, that has got to be one of the most brainless things I’ve ever seen. One of the busiest intersections in Whitehorse at 2nd and Main and no green turn arrow on either street, it’s a wonder there isn’t an accident there every day.
These people have no experience in running a city and it shows over and over again with their little ideas they come up with that wastes money and raise taxes, next thing, they’ll all be asking for a raise ;-)

Feb 21, 2008 at 2:30 pm

In response to Gene Brown. Too late, they already voted for salary increases. Again this council is really leading Whitehorse down a slippery slope. 15% increase in taxes in 3 years is absurd. City services have already suffered as anyone can see. Until you people want to stand up and say enough is enough, these types of things will just continue.

Taxpayer 95%

Feb 22, 2008 at 1:26 pm

I like paying taxes. This town is so in tune with the 95z I mean taxpayers tunage. Bring more lights, bring more roundabouts and more stop signs. Whitehorse needs more bike lanes, I suggest only having gov’t automobiles on the road, everyone else can walk or bike for carbon credits.
On Yukon Time, all the time

Feb 26, 2008 at 4:44 pm

I am looking forward to the traffic light! I drive through that intersection several times a day, pretty much every day, and no, people do not know how to use a four way stop. I have seen so many near-misses at that intersection, I am surprised there have not been any fatal accidents. Although traffic lights are not always obeyed here either, at least it might help.

Rosie

Mar 7, 2008 at 11:28 am

Chalk up another un-needed expense to the City Council. Taxes do nothing but rise, traffic does nothing but slow.

Geoffrey Capp

Mar 20, 2008 at 6:33 pm

Quartz & Industrial needs a light at rush hours, but outside of those, it should blink red in all four directions to function like a four-way stop. Better yet, put coils into the road so it is sensitive to traffic line-ups.

Second & Main used to have a three-phase signal cycle, but this ended around 1983 or 1984.

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