Winnipeg councillor pushing for enhanced traffic safety measures at busy Charleswood intersection
Evan Duncan calls for study, including review of speed limits along Wilkes Avenue
Some Charleswood residents worry it's just a matter of time before someone suffers serious injuries at a busy intersection in their neighbourhood.
Coun. Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) is spearheading a push to have the City of Winnipeg look at traffic-calming measures at the intersection of Elmhurst Road and Wilkes Avenue.
"Over the years, with the increased traffic coming from the Perimeter [Highway], whether that be from Ridgewood [West], the new development in Charleswood, or from the Seasons [of] Tuxedo from Route 90, this area has become increasingly busy, causing multiple collisions at this and many other intersections along Wilkes," Duncan said Wednesday afternoon.
The speed limit on Wilkes Avenue is 80 km/h at Elmhurst Road. The limit increases farther to the west, bumping up to 90 km/h past Fairmont Road. A railway line also runs along the north side of Wilkes Avenue, starting near Shaftesbury Boulevard out to the Perimeter Highway.
Duncan says the high speed many motorists travel — often close to or upwards of 100 km/h — is the biggest safety concern around the intersection.
"The busiest time of the day is definitely in the mornings. We have traffic coming southbound off of Elmhurst and then east and west on Wilkes, and there's been several collisions," Duncan said.
"When you get trains involved in that, you have traffic now backed up going westbound. It turns into a real mess here and it's a big safety concern."
Charleswood resident Wayne Lucas grew up not far from the intersection, which he called "extremely dangerous."
"With roundabouts, they can fit that into almost any area … so that's the thing that I say that's traffic calming. There's no more T-bones," he said.
Ailidier Akebeier, who manages an autobody shop less than 100 metres north of the intersection, said he often sees and hears about collisions just outside his front window.
He counted at least five this past summer alone, including some motorists who pulled into his shop minutes later.
"It's been really crazy, actually. Not just in the wintertime, even in the summertime, because it's like a transaction from the highway, right? So the speed limit is 80 and then the people want to turn left and go to the city," Akebeier said.
Like Duncan, Akebeier thinks the speed limit along Wilkes is too high. He said traffic lights might improve safety.
"Because it's 80 and … it takes time for people to, like, speed up to match the speed and there's no … merging section," he said.
Part of the problem is the slope of Elmhurst between the train tracks and Wilkes, he said.
"Right after railway, it's a slope that goes down, and in the winter, if it is icy, like, cars cannot stop," Akebeier said.
On city's radar since 2019
A 2019 report found the average weekday daily traffic on that section of Wilkes Avenue is more than 8,000 vehicles westbound and more than 13,000 heading east.
The report said a traffic signal is warranted, but because of issues related to the layout of the intersection — and other city infrastructure priorities — it did not recommend going ahead with it at the time.
Duncan says it's finally time to implement more traffic safety measures.
"We don't need to drag this out over another several months or years. We need action now, because it's not safe," he said.
Duncan is bringing a motion to city council's Assiniboia community committee on Thursday, calling for a study to look at ways to improve safety and reduce speeds, including a review of speed limits.
Twinning Wilkes would be challenging, but like Lucas, Duncan would be open to a traffic circle.
He wants the public service to report back to council in the hopes that some immediate safety measures can be put in place.
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With files from Cameron MacLean