Saskatoon city councillor calls for safety audit at site where cyclist died
City councillor Cynthia Block is calling for a road safety audit at the site of a fatal crash on College Drive last week.
Natasha Fox, 33, was biking at the intersection of Wiggins Avenue and College Drive on May 24 when a collision with a cement truck claimed her life.
Block pointed to a history of safety concerns at the intersection, which serves as a primary access point to the university campus.
“As you know, there was a tragedy in our community this past week with the death of somebody at the corner of College Drive and Wiggins Avenue. And I know that the story of cycling in this area has been a topic for many years, more than a decade that I’m aware,” said Block.
Block asked for council’s support in fast-tracking a third-party road safety audit for the intersection, using $30,000 in city money that would otherwise be transferred to the capital reserve.
By fast-tracking the motion, councillors would have to unanimously vote to waive the notice period required to give the public or stakeholders the opportunity to respond.
“This is very difficult because I completely feel the sense of urgency to have a discussion about these locations,” said Coun. Mairin Loewen.
Loewen said she felt it may be beneficial for their discussion to give administration a little more time to gather information so they can better respond to councillors questions on the issue.
“So, with a lot of ambivalence, I’m going to vote against waiving notice. It’s not that I don’t see this as urgent, but I want to ensure that when these motions are before us we actually have the ability to consider as comprehensive information from admin as we possibly can as well as to hear feedback from the community,” Loewen said.
Councillors Hill and Donauer also sided with Loewen, preferring to leave time for a more “fulsome debate” at the next council meeting.
The motion is on the agenda for June 7.
A memorial bike ride commemorating Fox took place on Wednesday afternoon, with the procession ending at the intersection where she died to observe a moment of silence.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
BREAKING Mounties will not be charged in shooting death of B.C. Indigenous man
Three Mounties in British Columbia will not face charges in the killing of a 38-year-old Indigenous man on Vancouver Island in 2021.