Ban Semi Trucks from Highway 8 - Update from "Twin Highway 8" Thread

[Baaarrden]

In the last 3 days, I have lost two friends in two separate accidents along highway 8. The first was on Tuesday near 69th Street SW and the other was last night further down Highway 8, closer to Highway 22. Although the first one involved other circumstances such as distracted driving, I am unsure about the circumstances regarding the accident that took place last night, but regardless of the circumstances, I would like to ask for your help in raising awareness for the safety issues of this highway.

Since learning of the news of these two accidents, many of my friends as well as other close friends of both of my friends that passed away have taken to Twitter, Facebook, and other social media to try to raise awareness for the issue of twinning Highway 8. ("TwinHighway8" is now trending in the Calgary region)

Over the past 7 years, I have personally known 4 people who have died in accidents along that highway and have heard and seen numerous other fatal accidents at different spots along it. Far too many fatal accidents have taken place that could have been prevented with the construction of a median or other lane separation along it. Because of this and also due to the fact that I travel this highway daily, I am in full support of it being twinned and would like to ask for your support in raising awareness. If you wouldn't mind, could you please sign this petition that my friends have created in order to try to make this highway a safer road to travel.

For those of you who don't know it, it is a two-lane highway right now with fairly narrow shoulders. Not only do many cars travel it daily but a large amount of semi-trucks also use it as an alternate route into Calgary, which makes this highway an extremely busy one.

Thanks for your time and please drive safely.

The Petition To Twin Highway 8:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/fix-highway-8.html

News Article for Accident on July 31:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...way-eight.html

News Article for Accident on August 2:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...-man-dead.html


Update:

I'm sorry to bump this thread, but I didn't want to start a new thread for something that fits with the topic of Highway and and the current dangers of it.

Back in late August, after the two accidents that claimed the lives of two of my friends, a couple of my friends sent letters to the Alberta Government regarding the safety issues that Highway 8 poses to the drivers that use it to commute to and from the city every day. Specifically they contacted the transportation minister and Premier Redford, and about two or three weeks ago, my buddy received a personally signed letter back from Alison Redford, stating that the province was working on a plan to improve highway 8 by looking into the possibility of twinning it.

However, with no immediate timeline on that project, my friends decided it was necessary for something more immediate to be done to hopefully make the highway a safer road to drive. They, along with their parents, have decided to push forward with a website in order to try to petition for the removal of heavy tractor trailers from that highway. The website they have created provides lots of information regarding things such as possible alternate routes for these trucks, an area to post any experiences that you may have had while driving this highway, and an area to sign a new petition to prohibit the use of Highway 8 by tractor trailers, if you so desire.

Please take the time to look at this and sign the petition, as this campaign will hopefully gather enough attention for the Alberta Government to actually make a change and make it a safer highway to travel.

http://noton8.ca

[Coach]

Yeah I grew up in Springbank so I used that road a lot in my youth and man, that left turn from Lower Springbank onto Hwy8 is a dangerous one. I have no idea why that hasn't been a twined road from the beginning. I know the population/traffic wasnt always there but there is SO MUCH room on iether side of the highway. It coule be 6 lanes without touching anything other than more dirt.

[burn_this_city]

It shocks me that there isn't even lights on the road between the Glenmore/Sarcee intersection and the turnoff for Lower Springbank Road.

[Table 5]

That's one of my favorite roads to drive down......it's a pretty fun one when not busy, but it does get a little hairy outside of the city when traffic is bad. You definitely need to pay attention the whole time....there is absolutely no room for distraction.

Definitely a good candidate for twinning.

[BlackArcher101]

Who actually owns and/or controls the road up to 101 St? Is it the city because it's referenced as Glenmore Trail up to that point? Or is it a similar agreement with the province like Deerfoot?

[mykalberta]

There are alot of roads in Alberta that should be expanded, I can think of at least 2 that I think should have higher priority and probably have higher useage rates.

I have only ever used Hwy 8 to get to/from banff if there is a problem on Trans Canada or if I am dropping someone off in the south.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

There are alot of roads in Alberta that should be expanded, I can think of at least 2 that I think should have higher priority and probably have higher useage rates.

I have only ever used Hwy 8 to get to/from banff if there is a problem on Trans Canada or if I am dropping someone off in the south.

Its pretty much a main outlet for anyone who lives in Discovery, Elbow, Springbank south of hwy1 and anyone from Redwood or Bragg and maybe even cochrane if you live there but work in S/ Calgary (god that would be awful, but you never know).

I also rarely use it since I moved from the area, that doesnt make it less congested/dangerous than it is.

[Canada 02]

for the Aug 2nd, the article says the driver was thrown from the vehicle. How is that possible with seat belts and air bags these days?

18 and 19 years old; what a shame

[troutman]

You often see some dangerous passing on HWY 8.

[ken0042]

Baaarrden- I know what I am going to say may sound harsh; however I ask these questions in the hopes it helps you get the answers that you need here.

- How long is the stretch of highway that we are talking about? For example, twinning 10 km is a lot cheaper than twinning 50 km.

- Is the twinning possibly on hold pending the SW ring Road plans?

- If the highway is twinned, will that possibly move the trouble spot further down the road? It's been a while since I drove that road, I am thinking it spills onto a 2 lane highway 22. My concern is that maybe if more of it is twinned; it will increase the truck traffic and make highway 22 that much un-safer.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

There are alot of roads in Alberta that should be expanded, I can think of at least 2 that I think should have higher priority and probably have higher useage rates.

I have only ever used Hwy 8 to get to/from banff if there is a problem on Trans Canada or if I am dropping someone off in the south.

Don't leave us hanging. Which 2? I'm curious.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Its pretty much a main outlet for anyone who lives in Discovery, Elbow, Springbank south of hwy1 and anyone from Redwood or Bragg and maybe even cochrane if you live there but work in S/ Calgary (god that would be awful, but you never know).

I also rarely use it since I moved from the area, that doesnt make it less congested/dangerous than it is.

My Dad commutes in on 8 from Cochrane 5 days a week. Less city to fight than taking Crowchild or the 1.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Baaarrden- I know what I am going to say may sound harsh; however I ask these questions in the hopes it helps you get the answers that you need here.

- How long is the stretch of highway that we are talking about? For example, twinning 10 km is a lot cheaper than twinning 50 km.

- Is the twinning possibly on hold pending the SW ring Road plans?

- If the highway is twinned, will that possibly move the trouble spot further down the road? It's been a while since I drove that road, I am thinking it spills onto a 2 lane highway 22. My concern is that maybe if more of it is twinned; it will increase the truck traffic and make highway 22 that much un-safer.

I'm thinking it needs to be twined from the Glenmore/Sarcee intersection to at least the springbank turnoff, which is not very far (maybe 3 or 4 KM). Most of the congestion is from people going to communities inbetween those areas. After that its mostly trucks and the redwood/bragg crowd. Maybe twin it to the second elbow valley intersection (thats probably about 10KM). Either way I think they could do it rather quickly and since there is so much room on either side of the hwy constuction shouldnt disrupt traffic all that much.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

My Dad commutes in on 8 from Cochrane 5 days a week. Less city to fight than taking Crowchild or the 1.

Oh for sure, if thats your situation its a no-brainer. Just saying the situation overall would suck haha. I imagine your Dad isn't exactly thrilled with his commute, but thats a different point.

[Muffins]

They aren't going to do a damn thing to that road until they figure out the ring road. Sadly that's a long ways away.

It's been long overdue for twining (at least up to elbow valley), and has been a dangerous road for a while. I've lost two friends myself to that road.

[Kybosh]

The road needs to be twinned but, for the safety of yourself and everyone around you, pay attention to the road, avoid dangerous passing and put down the phone.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Signed.
My parents place is in Springbank Hill just off 69th St and they drive the small stretch to Glenmore daily.
I've always surprised when I come back to visit that it hasn't been divided yet. With the cities growth, that stretch has gone from a outskirt road to a busy road of Calgary commuting and deserves to be treated as such.

[Ashartus]

I think it would've been twinned (at least the Calgary part) quite a while ago if it wasn't for all the waffling about the ring road, since the stretch just west of Sarcee is part of the ring road under most of the proposed options. There is a plan to add additional lanes between Sarcee and 69th and reduce the speed limit to 60 km/h there (I think it's supposed to be starting imminently). That doesn't help for anything west of 69th though.

One of the problems with that stretch is that there is a lot of traffic on the road, and this includes a lot of slow-moving vehicles (semis and motorhomes) which people are always trying to pass despite the high volume of oncoming traffic. Even some passing lanes as a short-term fix might help.

[nixon45]

Originally Posted by troutman

You often see some dangerous passing on HWY 8.

This is my concern over this whole twinning debate. Granted I do not drive it with very high frequency, but in my opinion if you are driving within the roads limitations as well as yours, that the highway is very manageable. I have seen questionable overtakes on that road as well and I understand that you cannot control the actions of other drivers, but I have never felt uncomfortable on that road save for one instance I had to drive it in total white out conditions.

Due to the relatively short distance of this highway, I just cant see the priority to twin this highway at the moment (not saying that it shouldn't be considered in the future)

Sympathies about your friends though

[emti]

Lost two amazing friends these passed 4 days. Played hockey every year with the 19 year old since I was 4. Please sign the petition guys, something needs to be done.