A resident of Drumheller who lives on 10 Avenue SE has started an online petition to remove roadblocks on the street where she lives.
Over the summer the town worked on traffic changes to the area which included a four-way stop at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 1st Street. There is also a roadblock on 10th Avenue on the west end of the road. The changes were made after the town garnered feedback provided in an online survey as well as an open house held last July.
Rather than curb traffic, Keely Murphy says there has been an increase in traffic, not on her front street, but in her back alley.
“My garage is at the back on the corner, so I have almost got t-boned coming out of my garage about five times now,” she said. “Having pets and a six-year-old daughter, I’m scared she is going to walk out and get hit.”
She says her back lane has a speed limit sign and the town keeps coming to maintain the speed bumps, but often vehicles come and destroy them as quickly as they are repaired.
She began an online petition at www.thepetitionsite.com a few weeks ago and has almost 500 signatures. She understands the petition does not meet the rigors of a paper petition recognized by the town or Municipal Affairs, her goal was to raise awareness.
“The petition is to get the attention of the town. There are many people who care and want the road open,” said Murphy.
Drumheller CAO Darryl Drohomerski said he is aware of the petition and Murphy’s concern.
“We are aware of the petition and the concerns raised by residents of traffic down the alley. Our plan once the barricade was installed was to monitor the traffic flow and adjust the barricades as necessary,” Drohomerski tells the Mail. “We will be revisiting the barricade location this spring so we can prevent non-local vehicles cutting through the neighbourhood. Based on the clear direction last year from area residents, we are not looking at removing the barricades.”
She said so far there has only been one anonymous negative comment on her petition.
Murphy says she was not notified the road would be closing.
“We live in the cul-de-sac. We were not notified or anything before it happened, we literally woke up one morning and looked out the window and the barricades were there,” she said.
“I would have thought that maybe a letter in the mail or someone coming to the door because we are on the street that it affects, but we received no information.”
“To be honest, if I knew the road was closed, I would have never built my house on this road. I pay almost $4,000 a year in taxes and now have a road blocked, and they haven’t plowed it once since they blocked it,” she said.
Murphy’s petition is posted at www.thepetitionsite.com. To find it, search for Drumheller.
