3 things to watch for at City Hall
Improving the Yellowhead, paying for the velodrome and winter parking
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We have an exciting week ahead as councillors return to their committees, with some interesting infrastructure proposals on the table.
Yellowhead make-over
The city plans to ask the federal government for some cash to improve Yellowhead Trail.
A report going before the transportation committee on Wednesday outlines two possible options for improving the highway.
Option one includes closing the intersection at 149th Street, which had 83 collisions last year — the highest number of all the intersections in the city. Closing it would cost $292 million.
The second choice is more ambitious. It would include removing the intersections at 149th, 127th, and 121st Street, and modifying the Fort Road and 66th Street interchanges. That plan would cost $687 million.
The city hopes the federal government will pitch in for one of these options using the New Building Canada Fund.
According to the report (and I’m sure anyone who has driven on the highway during rush hour would agree), Yellowhead is already a congested road and it’s only going to get worse.
Velodrome
There’s a new price tag on the Edmonton Velodrome — $111 million.
The velodrome will be part of the Peter Hemingway Fitness and Leisure Centre. Supports say the addition of a velodrome will make Coronation Park the only indoor triathlon training centre in North America.
Counc. Andrew Knack has already expressed concerns about the number of requests for capital dollars in the next budget, so this should be a good debate on Monday.
Windrow Parking Only
The city is considering a pilot project to ban parking all winter on one side of the road and store snow in the parking spaces.
The idea is to prevent windrows in the middle of the street.
If approved, West Jasper Place, Crestwood, Henderson Estates, and Haddow would be the test case neighbourhoods.
Community Leagues for those neighbourhoods have already been informed of the plan. More information will be available if the idea is approved.