Traffic management changes - Fleetwood Bawden area

The City of Lethbridge is proposing changes to traffic management in the area surrounding Fleetwood Bawden Elementary School to improve safety and reduce congestion.

Why?

Following public complaints, the City conducted a traffic review of the area. This review determined the current width of both 11 Street and 12 Street South is 8 meters wide, while the current standards for two-way traffic require an 11-meter width for roads with similar amounts of traffic.

What are the proposed changes?

The proposed changes will see 11 and 12 Street South between 9 and 10 Avenue South converted into single lane, one-way streets.

• 11 Street South to change to one-way traffic going southbound
• 12 Street South to change to one-way traffic going northbound

The red arrows in the aerial image above indicate the proposed changes.

What are the benefits of making these changes?

We anticipate by making these changes, residents will see:

• Improved safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, particularly residents, students and parents.
• Improved flow of traffic and ease on-street parking.
• Improved pick-up and drop-off of students at Fleetwood Bawden Elementary School.

Fleetwood Bawden Elementary School Administration is supportive of these changes as they will ease the traffic congestion and significantly improve the safety of students and their families.

Why does 11 street have to change if the problem mostly occurs on 12 street?

The traffic review identified that 11 Street South has a similar road width to 12 Street, which makes it difficult to accommodate two-way traffic and parking on both sides of the street.

If supported, the changes would see 11 Street South become a southbound one way street which would benefit traffic circulation in the area. The one way movement on the narrow streets would also ease parking and access to homes and improve road safety for residents and pedestrians.

What is the proposed timeline of this project if it moves forward?

We've incorporated a question, in the below project survey, that offers options to implement any changes should they be supported.

After the public engagement period ends on January 31, 2025, a What We Heard Report will be published in early February. This report will outline the feedback received from the public. Following this report, an update will be provided to residents and stakeholders about potential next steps and timelines.