Laurie in Question Period
Anthony Henday Drive Interchanges
Ms Blakeman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday when I asked the Minister of Transportation about the absence from the capital plan of funding for interchanges on the western Anthony Henday Drive, he replied by talking about functional planning. What the Premier promised the city of Edmonton was that funding would be considered for these interchanges, and it is that funding that I am asking about. So again to the Minister of Transportation: why isn’t that funding in the three year capital plan?
Mr. Ouellette: Mr. Speaker, first of all, when that road was built – originally that was a city of Edmonton road, and we took it over, whatever the budget would come up with. The traffic counts in those days were a lot different than today. I will say that we just did a study on the traffic out there, and it is way up. It’s up 45 per cent from last year at this time. That’s why we’re rushing ahead as fast as we can to get all of the planning and to make sure we have the proper bridges and the proper overpasses to adhere to the safety of Edmontonians and anyone who travels that road.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Ms Blakeman: Thank you. Well, I don’t think it counts for much if the funding is not actually in the plan.
Again to the same minister: given that the use of engine retarder brakes within Edmonton city limits is illegal and we have sheriffs and police and transport officers on this road, why isn’t this bylaw being properly enforced?
Mr. Ouellette: Mr. Speaker, I haven’t looked up the actual Edmonton bylaw. They may have one, and it may be a bylaw that can’t be enforced. I don’t know. It’s our highway, and on our highways we do not make a law against a safety feature of a vehicle.
Ms Blakeman: Mr. Speaker, those engine retarder brakes are a safety feature for transport on the highway travelling very quickly. The problem for us is that on the Anthony Henday they can still get enough of a speed that when they have to hit those intersections with lights, which is why we want them made into interchanges, they stop and they use those engine retarder brakes, and that is illegal in the city of Edmonton. Why can’t you do something so that those people can sleep at night?
Mr. Ouellette: Mr. Speaker, I just have to repeat again. When we get those interchanges and they don’t have to use the retarder brakes to get their vehicle stopped quicker, her problem will be solved. But right now our traffic safety plan will not pass a law to stop a safety feature on a tractor trailer unit.
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