2017 Annual Report

18 City of Chilliwack 2017 Annual Report Safety Fair This year’s Safety Fair was co-hosted by Safer City and the Chilliwack Fire Department. The event was held simultaneously at three separate parking lot locations: Home Depot, Canadian Tire and the Yarrow Fire Hall. Multiple vendors provided booths to showcase their safety expertise, all in an effort to expand knowledge throughout the community. Back to School This year’s Back to School enforcement and education project was another success. The Safer City team attended 18 schools, enforcing and educating drivers on 30 km/h school zones. The local business community donated advertising space on their roadside advertising boards in an effort to collectively raise awareness that school was back in session. Reminders were also provided through social media, website tips, newspaper ads and radio ads. School bus safety was also highlighted through a full page reminder in the Fall/Winter edition of the Leisure Guide. Driver Communication Safer City utilizes two portable message boards to raise road safety awareness throughout the community. The boards were deployed in a variety of locations throughout the year. Deployment locations included school zones, playground zones, neighbourhoods and corridors. The Safer City team chose to also deploy a distracted driving project in March. Data indicates that one quarter of vehicle crash fatalities in B.C. are due to distracted driving. Traffic Signals Traffic signal improvements this year included a pedestrian crossing signal at Yarrow Central and Kehler Roads. Construction was completed in December that now allows for a safer crossing of this arterial roadway in Yarrow. Automatic Traffic Information Speed reader signs were installed at both approaches to Evans Elementary school. Initial data indicates the signs have significantly reduced traffic speeds during the days and times the school zone is in effect. Asphalt Rehabilitation & Shoulder Paving 2017 asphalt rehabilitation was completed on the following roads: Asphalt rehabilitation with bike lane shoulder paving was completed on Industrial Way. In total, 10km of asphalt rehabilitation was completed and 1.5km of bicycle lanes were constructed in 2017. Young Road Yale Road y y Boundary y y Chwk. River y y Williams y y Prest y y Hodgins y y Chwk.Central y y Young y y Yale y y Vedder y y Lickman y y Sylvan y y Yarrow Central y y Broadway y y Evans