City of Charlottetown shares plan to make Grafton Street safer and more efficient

Charlottetown residents are getting a first look at the city's plan to make Grafton Street safer and more efficient, which is in line with its 10-year active transportation plan.

The city held an open house on Wednesday to present concept designs for the Grafton Street Master Plan. This key corridor connecting the Hillsborough Bridge to the downtown core will see improvements focused on the stretch between Edward Street and West Street.

Richard MacEwen, director of community services for the city, said the plan was designed to make the street safer for everyone — pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike.

"Safety is the number one priority when we're looking at these projects," MacEwen told CBC News. "We want to improve the safety access throughout the city. We want people to feel comfortable, on their bikes, when they're walking."

Residents can provide feedback on the city's website. The city is gathering community and stakeholder feedback before finalizing the plan, which will then be presented to city council for approval.

Improving traffic flow, accessibility

At the open house, residents were shown several concept designs, including proposals to improve safety and traffic flow at places like the intersection of Pownal Street and Edward Street. The city says vehicle volumes at these spots suggest traffic signals are warranted.

The plan also recommends accessibility improvements. These include pedestrian ramps and curb extensions, which reduce crossing distances and make it easier for drivers to see pedestrians, and vice versa.

Currently, many intersections along Grafton Street lack things like textured ground surfaces that help visually impaired people navigate safely. In cases where tactile warning surface indicators do exist, they often aren't configured in a standardized way, the plan notes.

Transit changes

Changes to the bus stops by the Confederation Centre could also be coming. Two options are under consideration.

One is to introduce three parallel bus layby stops on the eastbound side and one on the westbound side of Grafton Street. The other is to build three angled layby stops eastbound and one parallel stop westbound. Both options include formalized pedestrian landing pads for passengers to board and exit.

These changes would affect more than a dozen parking spaces across the street from the Holman Grand Hotel and Confederation Court Mall, though.

"Again, it's thinking about public safety, and where it's easy for people to get on and off a bus safely," MacEwen said.

Charlottetown resident David Daughton said he supports these proposals.

"That has some merit, in terms of not having people behind buses with flashing lights on like we have now. And half the people know they're allowed to pass a slow-moving vehicle. The other people are sitting there waiting because they don't know what's going on," Daughton said. 

"You can't have buses blocking the road all the time, every time they want to pick up people."

Still, Daughton raised a concern about the visibility of pedestrian crossings along Grafton Street due to faded road paint.

"If you and I go down to… downtown now, at least 50 per cent of the crossings will be invisible because there is no white stripe left on the crossing, which is dangerous," he said.

Daughton added that other countries have found solutions for permanent, year-round crossing markers, and he hopes Charlottetown can do the same.