On Friday, the City of Prince George responded to concerns from the public about a roundabout under construction at the intersection of Foothills Boulevard and 18th Avenue.
Following the announcement on June 6, the city received more than 100 comments through its social media channels regarding the $1.6 million project, questioning the rationale and raising concerns that the city was preparing to extend Foothills Boulevard to 22nd Avenue or beyond. On Friday, the city released information about the project on its Fact Check website.
“The roundabout project provides better access to a nearby development and existing apartment buildings on Glen Shee Road and improves intersection road safety,” the statement said. “While building a road extension of Massey Drive and Foothills Boulevard through the area commonly referred to as ‘Ginter's Meadow’ is on the capital plan as a possible future project, it is not a funded project in the 2023-2027 Capital Plan. In other words, it is not an immediate priority.”
Roundabouts, also called traffic circles, are a proven design which reduce the frequency and severity of traffic accidents, compared to signalized intersections, the city statement added.
The city’s current official community plan (OCP) states that Ginter’s Meadow could be used to build a road to accommodate future needs, the statement said. A request by community group Ginter’s Green Forever to remove the planed road extensions from the city’s long-term plans and designate the area from 18th Avenue to Ferry Avenue as an official park will be considered during the city’s OCP review planned for this year.
“The OCP review will begin this year and will continue into 2024. It will include extensive community engagement,” the city statement said. “All citizens are encouraged to take part in the many opportunities that will be provided. More details about how to take part will be announced in the coming months.”
