Rainbow Road is becoming a popular route as traffic volume continues to increase.
Between March 28 and May 30, the north counter on Rainbow Road counted 28,491 vehicles, and the south counter counted 20,460 vehicles, an increase from the 24,691 vehicles recorded by the north counter in April, and the 18,671 that the south counter recorded in April.
“We’re seeing increases in motorcycles, smaller vehicle traffic, and larger vehicles, due to campers and motorhomes,” Manager of Roads and Fleet Community Operations Mel Bohmer said. “It’s getting to be the same type of numbers month after month.”
The data collected from the north counter indicated that traffic heading north was travelling at 55 km/h, and 54 km/h heading south, while the south counter indicated that traffic heading north was travelling at 64 km/h, and 65 km/h south.
Heading north, the counter collected data that 311 drivers were travelling between 80 km/h and 89 km/h, 55 were travelling between 90 km/h and 99 km/h, and 13 were travelling over 100 km/h.
The city has installed a flashing radar speed sign and installed two additional 50 km/h speed signs.
The city will also install a digital speed sign north of Windermere Drive before the road transitions to the pavement.
“This could be increasing because of nice weather, and the actual condition of the road improving,” Bohmer said.
The peak traffic periods for the north and south counters have remained the same from previous months, between 8 a.m., and 9 a.m., and 4 p.m., and 5 p.m.
The city has been working to maintain the road condition, with additional road maintenance, grading, and watering on a weekly basis. Calcium chloride has also been applied to the road as a dust suppressant.
“We used a dust suppressant, with the proximity to the farmland, and acreages having water wells, there are rules and regulations around using oil. With the budget, we decided to continue to use calcium chloride,” Bohmer said.
In the past, the calcium chloride treatment has been used once a year on Rainbow Road, however, because of traffic increasing, Bohmer is hopeful to apply the treatment every two or three months.
“It’s not changing too much, we’re increasing numbers, it’s becoming a popular route, but I think that’s because of the condition we’re keeping it in,” Bohmer said. “We’re grading it at least once a week, watering it, and now the calcium chloride, it’s making it better to travel on.”
