Four independent ward councillors, along with the Calgary Firefighters Association, have called for a stronger response from the provincial government towards speeding and safety on Stoney Trail.

The council candidates who joined the call for action included incumbent Ward 2 candidate Jennifer Wyness, Ward 3 candidate Andrew Yule, Ward 6 candidate John Pantazopoulos, and Ward 9 candidate Harrison Clark—all of whom have a section of the ring road in the wards they are running to represent.

Speaking at a jointly held press conference in Country Hills, Jamie Blayney, president of the Calgary Firefighters Association, said that the devastating outcomes from accidents on the provincial ring road necessitated a stronger response.

“Excessive speeding puts the lives of Calgarians and first responders at risk, and it has to stop. In every other province in Canada, law enforcement has the power to immediately impound a vehicle and or suspend the license of a driver caught speeding more than 50 kilometers an hour over the posted speed limit. This is not the case in Alberta,” he said.

“This is not acceptable. As part of our union’s work leading up to this municipal election on Monday, we have spent months meeting with council and mayoral candidates. Something that has come up time and time again in these conversations is that speeding on Stoney Trail is a major issue.”

Blayney spoke about the horrific traumas that speeding inflicts on those involved in accidents on Stoney Trail, but also on firefighters themselves.

“Imagine pulling someone out of a vehicle, bloody beyond recognition, trying your hardest to save them. That’s not something you forget. These incidents stay with first responders for the rest of their lives,” he said.

“In June alone, we saw two fatal collisions on Stoney Trail, both of which were truly horrific.”

Area residents concerned for safety

In September, Calgary Police stopped five drivers on a single night who were going 60 kilometres per hour over the posted speed limit. Other issues identified by police included racing on Stoney Trail, and social media users speeding to create content videos.

Blayney said taking those drivers off the road immediately would prevent danger to others and themselves.

It would also reduce the number of times that the fire department would have to dispatch a safety support vehicle, which is often a fire truck used to block part of the roadway so that first responders can attend a scene with greater safety.

“That’s leaving halls like 31 Station, just a kilometre from us, they’re not available to do critical medical interventions. They’re not available to attend a house fire. Then, that puts a strain on neighbouring districts to cover off while we’re spending that valuable time on Stoney Trail,” said Blayney.

A nearby resident, Tara Melhus, said that safety is a concern for herself and other residents on her street that backs onto Stoney Trail.

“I do hear a lot of street racing, and I have actually heard a tire explode from a transport truck, because it’s pretty loud and you can smell it,” she said.

She said that one concern was that the berm that separates homes from the ring road has been settling, and where it once was impossible to see vehicles from her backyard, she now can. The area also has no barriers to prevent cars from travelling into a well-used space behind the homes where people like to walk their dogs.

“I think that if there were more safety pieces in place, such as having a higher berm or even some sort of wall to protect pedestrians and civilians from street traffic, I think that would be a great impact. It’s a little bit worrisome. I do have two small kids. We play in our backyard all the time. If something were to come over the berm and through my fence, I would essentially have no control.”

Pantazopoulos said that while all of the candidates might disagree on some issues, the one thing that unites Calgarians is a desire for safety.

“One of the major priorities for the next City of Calgary’s council is that we’ve got so many wards that touch the ring road, it’s such a critical piece of our infrastructure that we have to make sure that it’s safe. I think it’s one thing that the next council will be able to do is unify around things that make sense for Calgarians,” he said.

“The fact that we’re all here as independents coming together towards a common good says a lot about this campaign and what Calgarians want from their next councillor.”