HUMBOLDT, LEROY — Humboldt and LeRoy are among two of the 50 Saskatchewan communities benefiting from SGI’s Provincial Traffic Safety Fund. The fund is investing $550,000 province-wide.
Two safety projects will be partially funded in Humboldt thanks to the SGI grant, said Joe Day, Humboldt’s city manager. One is a backup battery for the traffic light at Sixth Avenue and Main Street, while the other will replace one radar speed sign within a Humboldt school zone.
During short and long term power outages, it is a better option to have stoplights that continue to work, Day said. This requires a battery backup.
“A battery backup is a very safe option to control traffic at an intersection like [Sixth Avenue and Main Street] so we're very pleased that we got to find it for 75 per cent of what the cost of that project would be.”
Day said he is also happy that SGI will be contributing to keeping radar signs operational, especially when that means keeping children safe in Humboldt school zones.
In LeRoy, the SGI grant will contribute to the purchase of a portable speed sign that can be moved to troubled areas in town and flashing beacons to warn people of the upcoming stop sign on the BHP road on the edge of town, said Brian Thoen, the town's mayor.
“[The radar sign] will be moved around so that it can educate people even around the school grounds about where it's 30 kilometres an hour. And then the other part of it was we are getting a flashing beacon…. People are so used to driving through.”
Everything has been installed for pedestrian safety, Thoen said. Receiving this funding will greatly benefit the community, he said.
Thanks to this grant, Humboldt gets to address safety and traffic issues, and Day said he looks forward to applying for these grants every year.
“It's great that this program is available and communities like Humboldt can access it to improve both pedestrian and traffic safety.”
