Stakeholder

Cross the Barrier

Decreasing the barrier

Although highway 7 is important for the access of Okotoks and the Southridge Valley area, keeping it as it is now is not an option. With the development and expansion of the towns edges, this road will not longer be outside of Okotoks, but within. It will no longer be only providing connection to different areas, but it will also be part of the living environment of Okotoks. as it can currently only be used for cars and is located between two housing districts it becomes a barrier. By changing the highway, it becomes clear for road users that they have entered the border of the town.

The new layout of the road will be stimulating a slower speed and will provide accessibility for walking and cycling. There is a way 2 cycle path located that runs alongside the road and there will be multiple spots for people that bike or walk to get across. In addition to that the road will get a greener appearance as the road is divided by a green middle island and there will be trees alongside it. this will make the road feel less of a barrier.

Transition of highway and downgraded highway

The transition between the current highway and the downgraded highway that runs along Southridge Valley will be done by a roundabout. This roundabout should slow traffic to an almost complete stop when they must give way to other traffic on the roundabout. After the roundabout, the design is narrower and lets drivers now that they have now enter the town. Furthermore, the roundabout facilitates access in and out the Southridge Valley area’s and it creates safe crossing opportunities because of the low speed.

before after

Figure 50: Highway7 barrier after and before Examples of this can often be seen in countries like Germany, France, Sweden, and England, where long stretching routes with through traffic runs in and out the borders of small towns. Although the speeds on these roads the speeds are quite high, speeds gas to be reduces one’s traffic enters the town to create a safe environment. But when the border is reached again speeds will go up again until the next town is reached. Therefore, a roundabout is the perfect way to let people know that they have entered a living area. An example of that can be seen in DeLand, Florida, where a roundabout is put on a highway at the point where town is starting. Of course, bicycle infrastructure needs to be added to the roundabout to make it fitting for Southridge Valley.

Figure 51: Cross section of Highway 7