The traffic at the Territorial Drive intersection between Sobeys and the Territorial Place Mall came up for discussion again at council Monday night.
Councillor Kelli Hawtin raised concerns about the amount of traffic at that intersection earlier this year and suggested traffic lights at that location.
Monday, she put forward an alternative possibility, asking about a second exit from the Sobeys location. Hawtin asked whether that notion has been brought up.
Director of Planning and Development Tim LaFreniere responded that indeed, as a matter of agreement with the owner of the property, a "right-in right-out access onto Highway 4 on the southbound lanes" was agreed to (though, it was pointed out later, not a requirement) at the time it was developed.
"It's the onus of the owner to build that," said LaFreniere.
He added the city has encouraged the owner to look into how that access would change the volumes of traffic at the Co-op intersection. He suggested installing the access would be in the owners' best interest.
"It's in the interest of the owner to install that right in and right out as early as possible," said LaFreniere, who suggested "that would forestall the traffic warrants that necessitate traffic lights at the current intersection."
According to the contract, if traffic count at the Co-op-Sobeys intersection hits a certain point, that would trigger a cost share for traffic lights that the developer would be on the hook for.
Otherwise, if the city went ahead without the warrants being triggered, the city would be on the hook for 100 per cent of the cost of traffic signals.
At the moment, traffic counts remain below the threshold and it was suggested building a new access might forestall the need for signal lights.
"The longer we put off those signals, he added, the "less conflict there is with the driving public who, in particular on Territorial Drive, would be inconvenienced by the use of signals at that location."
LaFreniere added they have talked with the owners several times about the need for a right-in, right-out access, and signal lights are included in the budget each year for consideration. Traffic counts are done every year at the intersection, he noted.
Another possibility raised by Councillor Greg Lightfoot was for the existing service road in front of the restaurant to the north to be extended down to the Sobeys lot. That was one of the options for site development available, LaFreniere indicated.
LaFreniere said the developers will look at what "best suits the site and provides the best opportunity for site development and traffic development," but also noted they have not committed to any of the options at this time.
