Charlottetown drivers still getting used to recently installed chicane

Charlottetown public works officers will quickly be placing up signage to higher inform drivers of what they should do when utilizing the chicane on Harley Road. 

A chicane is an S-curve in a avenue that forces automobiles to decelerate to navigate it. It has been in place on Harley Road since late September.

“You type of wiggle by the small little islands which are constructed to the facet of the highway. The last word aim for them is to decelerate visitors as a result of you possibly can’t drive by them in a short time,” stated Scott Adams, supervisor of public works for the Metropolis of Charlottetown. 

Harley Road was underneath full reconstruction since June, and the chicane was constructed on the identical time that water and sewer strains had been changed, and repaved curbs and sidewalks had been put in.

The approximate price for the whole undertaking was round $1.5 million, Adams stated. 

Putting in the chicane on Harley Road was vital, he stated, as a result of it connects two busy roads — Mount Edward Street and St. Peters Street. 

“If visitors begins backing up on both avenue, of us will simply minimize by this neighbourhood as a result of it’s a straight little quick avenue, a good way to attach between these two.” 

Aim to calm visitors

Town put in the chicane to dissuade folks from utilizing Harley Road as a shortcut, and to scale back visitors speeds throughout the neighbourhood. 

Though the highway has been open since September, Adams stated town is ready for a number of months till they begin finding out how the chicane has affected visitors. He stated as soon as drivers get used to the chicane, town will connect a field to the facet of a pole to depend visitors and pace in each instructions. 

“We hope on the finish of the day we’ll see a discount in visitors on the road and likewise a discount in pace,” Adams added. 

To this point, response from the neighborhood has been blended, he stated, and a few individuals are nonetheless driving over the chicanes. 

“It is new, so it’ll take a while for everybody to get accustomed to it,” he stated. 

Adams stated there are at the moment no different metropolis streets earmarked for a chicane, however that would change if research present the one on Harley Road was successful.