The changes to Kensington Road are aimed at improving safety

Big changes are coming to Kensington Road NW

The City of Calgary will soon begin installing several temporary traffic calming measures to improve safety between 14th Street and Crowchild Trail NW.

“The changes are expected to reduce incidents and crashes involving people walking, driving, driving and taking transit,” according to Thursday's news release.

Changes include:

• Reducing Kensington Road to one lane in each direction;
• Curb extensions using temporary traffic calming curbs along corridors and at most crosswalks;
• Add some parking on Kensington Road between 18th Street and 19th Street NW;
• Extending the existing speed limit of 40 km/h; and
• Installation of rapid flashing beacon lights at crosswalks: one permanent on 16th Street North and one on Northeast 18A Street during construction only.

“CHANGES IN ROAD SERVICE”

The City of Calgary acknowledges that reducing Kensington Road to one lane in each direction may cause “slight traffic changes” but will not increase congestion along the corridor and says the impact on traffic flow will be “negligible.” “

“Narrow roads reduce travel speeds, making it safer for everyone, especially children, who use crosswalks along the corridor to get to nearby schools and amenities,” the city said.

The road passes through the communities of Hillhurst and West Hillhurst.

The City of Calgary's mobility safety coordinator says the changes are in response to the results of a recent crash review and traffic assessment.

“We've been actively working with organizations like the West Hillhurst community and others to determine what changes will help address the safety concerns we've heard from the community and the data we've received,” said Tony Churchill.

“By implementing these short-term measures, we are prioritizing a safe environment for residents until a permanent solution is determined.”

The city says it will evaluate the changes “in the fall” and is inviting residents and area businesses to share their thoughts.

The information obtained helps in making the final decision regarding sustainable infrastructure.

You can visit the City of Calgary website for more information about this project.