Road safety dominated much of city council’s meeting Monday evening.

Members first heard of issues from a delegate, then discussed the possibility of working with the territory’s Department of Education on a review of pedestrian safety around schools.

In her presentation to council, Rachel Grantham questioned whether the city has given any thought to changes that could lead to safer roadways: maybe asking the territory to open up the Motor Vehicles Act for amendments that could allow bylaw officers to pull over drivers who are speeding, among others.

“What can we change?” she asked. “I want to see our city be safe.”

Throughout her presentation, she described a “culture of speeding” in Whitehorse.

Recently, when attempting to turn left on a green light from Chilkoot Way onto Two Mile Hill, Grantham was stopped by someone honking to get her attention.

She soon realized that another driver was blowing through a red light and would have hit her vehicle had she not stopped.

Had the other driver in the area not honked, she said, she would not be sitting before council right then to talk about her concerns.

“It was incredibly alarming,” Grantham said. Drivers should be able to assume that when a light turns green, they will be able to move into traffic.

She then also relayed a story of overhearing two people talk in a coffee shop, essentially stating that they speed whenever they drive.

Perhaps they might not say that so loudly now, given the tragic collision of April 6 on Highway 35 in Saskatchewan that killed 16 people who were part of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team and on the team’s bus at the time, Grantham said.

Nevertheless, there remain many drivers who continue to speed through the city, she pointed out.

Grantham went on to state her frustration in the “constant push and pull” between the city and territory in determining which government is responsible for various aspects of road safety.

Is there not some way, she wondered, for the two governments to work together on the matter? There are concerns around school zones and throughout the city, she noted.

Council cannot respond directly to concerns brought forward from a delegate. However, administration was asked to respond by email to Grantham with details on various initiatives underway.

Coun. Dan Boyd and Mayor Dan Curtis asked that aspects around a bylaw review look at the issues and a resolution being brought forward to the Association of Yukon Communities calling on the Yukon government to amend the the Motor Vehicles Act to help address such issues.

The proposed school mobility review would see the city and territory work together to address safety issues around schools.

Taylor Eshpeter, the city’s acting manager of engineering services, brought forward a recommendation that the city move ahead with the initiative that would see a review of school pedestrian infrastructure and an implementation plan.

The Department of Education would provide $28,477 for the project, with the city putting in the remaining $15,523.

Eshpeter said the city’s traffic and sign committee receives many requests from school committees and the general public to make improvements for pedestrians around schools.

City staff contacted the Department of Education on the matter “... and they have indicated that pedestrian safety concerns in the vicinity of schools is a high priority for them as well, and that they also have challenges around prioritizing implementation of potential improvements.”

It’s noted the initiative would include recommendations for improvements with an implementation plan that would prioritize those improvements.

Among the benefits of doing the study, Eshpeter highlighted:

• improved efficiencies;

• consistent data collection and approaches;

• the opportunity for the city and territory to collaborate;

• funding from the territory that may not be available down the road;

• the ability to prioritize locations and improvements through a standardized method; and

• the ability to collect information now while school is still in session.

It will be another week before council votes on whether to proceed, but some members are already highlighting the importance of the project.

Coun. Rob Fendrick, who attended Monday night’s session by conference call, said the city has already heard “loud and clear” from parents with students at Jack Hulland Elementary in Porter Creek of the significant issues for students crossing 12th Avenue to get to their school on Fir Street.

Fendrick said he welcomes the study.

“It’s well-needed,” he said.

Similarly, Coun. Samson Hartland pointed out that the city often hears concerns from parents and school councils around the city.

He questioned Eshpeter on how the city would ensure that school councils are involved with it.

Eshpeter noted that while the details on input opportunities haven’t been worked out yet, there will be efforts to ensure that every organization that wants to have input will be given that opportunity.

In an interview after the meeting, Curtis also highlighted the work underway to improve road safety. That includes the resolution being put to the AYC at its annual general meeting next month in Dawson City.

He also noted the school mobility review could help in prioritizing what areas need work done to improve pedestrian safety.

He pointed out there’s already “a tremendous amount of information” available on various school areas through the concerns that have come in to the city already.

That information can be combined with the input that would come in through the potential review to help determine where efforts should be made first.

Curtis was also quick to emphasize that safety concerns around schools don’t end when school is done for the summer.

As he pointed out, during the summer, the grounds are often used by kids who are looking for a place to play.

“The concern is all year long,” he said.

Council will vote on whether to go ahead with the school mobility review next week.