Moment with the Mayor: Truck Parking

Hi Neighbours:

Council is working with our commercial and industrial partners to ensure Kindersley’s sustainability.

One of the issues we are trying to find a satisfactory solution to is truck parking on the service roads. Safety and economic development are in tension with sustainability. Actions taken by the Town to date include: constructing sidewalks, curbs, and gutters; installing light standards, and restricting parking. However, the challenge with parking is still there.

Some people allege that the Town needs to recognize that we are an oil and gas town and shouldn’t choke the golden goose, so to speak, by being too restrictive either through more parking restrictions or Pay for Parking. The economic development concern is that truckers would move out of town and not use local hotels and restaurants. We have been told that one hotel has experienced a slow down due to restrictive parking. However, it should be noted that some companies shuttle their drivers to the hotel; this was also done in the past.

Economic development accentuates the need for sustainability since more heavy trucks accelerates the deterioration of the roads. Perhaps you have noticed the state of the shoulders and the wear on the service roads?

The safety issue also has to be considered. Sadly, about four years ago, tragedy resulted when a man crossed 11^th Ave near the Kindersley Inn. That brings extra emphasis to these safety considerations:

• The sidewalk along 11th is heavily used by pedestrians, and kids are often nearby using Rotary Field;
• The service road is not wide enough nor is it designed for heavy truck parking;
• Some of the trucks have dangerous goods posing a safety risk for the neighbourhood and town.

Policy GP.0 in Council’s Policy Manual states: “The purpose of the Council, on behalf of the ratepayers of Kindersley, is to see to it that the Town of Kindersley (a) achieves appropriate results for appropriate persons at an appropriate cost and (b) avoids unacceptable actions and situations.”

We are working with our partners to find an acceptable solution for everyone. We want to ensure the safety of our residents while still providing safe parking and lodging for those needing temporary accommodation; to support our local industry and promote economic development, and to do so in a way that local residents don’t have to unreasonably bear the cost of subsidizing repairs for premature road degradation.

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.