City looking at further tweaks to Albert-Andrew intersection

Sault Ste. Marie City Council voted Monday to consider additional measures to reduce traffic accidents at the infamous Albert-Andrew Street intersection. 

"This intersection is a very hot topic in Ward 2," said Ward 2 Coun. Luke Dufour, who introduced a motion about the issue.

Dufour pointed out that the intersection's safety has been questioned previously by City Council.

"A lot of the discussion historically has centred around putting lights back in, versus having taken the lights out."

"That's not really what this resolution is getting into," Dufour said.

"The decision to remove lights is really guided by traffic volumes. That's kind of a separate question from looking at the safety of an intersection."

"This is deliberately left a little more open-ended, in order to allow Traffic and Engineering to come up with what they see as the best solution to a very clear and pressing problem."

The following is the full text of the resolution approved by City Council on Monday night:

Andrew Street/ Albert Street traffic lights

Mover: Councillor L. Dufour
Seconder: Councillor M. Shoemaker

Whereas the City of Sault Ste. Marie removed the traffic lights at Albert and Andrew Streets in 2013 with the expectation that collisions would decrease over time; and

Whereas Andrew Street and Albert Street current year data indicates an increase in collisions; and

Whereas reports recommending this removal point to the successful transition of Andrew Street and Queen Street to an intersection without signals; and

Whereas the Andrew Street and Queen Street intersection has two lanes with a large concrete barrier to signal drivers to stop, but the Albert Street and Andrew Street intersection has no such barrier; and

Whereas traffic collision data over the past three years shows a larger than normal volume of collisions at Albert and Andrew Streets with nearly all of them being from the right hand, southbound lanes,

Now, therefore, be it resolved that Traffic and Engineering be requested to conduct a traffic safety study of Albert and Andrew Streets with the goal of reducing collisions from the southbound lanes on Andrew Street.