New three-way stop installed at the Quads

Sunny South News Photo by Kristine Jean. QUADS INTERSECTION: A recent motion by council has resulted in a 3-way stop at the intersection of 30th Avenue and 13th Street that intersects with the Quads parking lot exit. The 3-way stop was installed earlier this spring after concerns over traffic safety were brought to council by a Coaldale resident.

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Town of Coaldale council recently passed a motion to improve traffic safety at an intersection in the southeast part of town. 

That motion has resulted in a new 3-way stop at the intersection of 30th Ave. and 13th Street, installed earlier this spring.   

The matter regarding signage at the intersection was requested by council following an inquiry and concerns from a Coaldale resident. 

It was brought before councillors at the Town of Coaldale Feb. 23 regular council meeting, where they discussed the issue and ultimately passed a motion to direct administration to install a stop sign at all three approaches at the intersection of 30th Ave and 13th Street, that intersects with the Quads parking lot exit.  

The motion passed by a vote of 5-2, with Mayor Jack Van Rijn and Coun. Lisa Reis voting against. 

Director of Infrastructure with the Town of Coaldale, Dustin Yanke, presented details of the intersection’s current situation, proposed changes, which included several options to improve traffic flow and safety at that location. 

Yanke pointed out that 13th Street northbound currently operates with stop control (stop sign), while 30th Ave. heading east is free-flow, and the Quads parking lot on the east side of 13th Street has no signage upon exiting the Quads into the intersection at 30th Ave. and 13th Street.   

“During the summer season, when the Quads facility is in active use, a notable increase in near-miss collisions have been observed,” said Yanke, noting the collision risk is mainly associated with vehicles exiting the Quads parking lot without yielding or stopping prior to entering the intersection — despite requirements to do so under the Alberta Traffic Safety Act. The act mandates that vehicles exiting a driveway or parking area must yield to traffic on the roadway. 

“The current configuration means that drivers on 13th Street turning left do not expect entering vehicles from the Quads to enter the intersection without stopping, resulting in unpredictable movements and elevated safety risk,” he added. “Additionally, given that traffic free flows out of the Quads, it can lead to lengthy delays for vehicles trying to turn left from 13th Street onto 30th Avenue.”  

Yanke said given these concerns, they reviewed the intersection layout and outlined some of the main issues. 

“There’s inconsistent driver expectations due to a mix of controlled and uncontrolled movements, there’s known compliance issues from vehicles exiting the Quads parking lot, there’s high seasonal variation in traffic (volumes), which can lead to heightened safety concerns during peak months and potential over-control (concerns) during off-peak months,” explained Yanke. “Increased near misses reported during events at the Quads (and) current signage does not reflect the complexity of what functions as a de facto 3-way intersection.” 

He presented a summary of three options to council.  

“There aren’t any options that solve all concerns – considering safety, driver frustration, and priorities of those that live nearby and have to use the intersection regularly,” he said. “It is a unique intersection, with a seasonal, high volume parking lot entering a roadway – there aren’t any perfect solutions in my opinion.” 

Yanke outlined each of the three options presented to council and their pros and cons for each.   

Option 1 included installing stop signs for all approaches, a 3-way stop. Option 2 included maintaining the status quo with no changes and Option 3 included installing a yield sign on 13th Street and a stop sign at the Quads exit. 

In summary, Yanke noted the intersection currently functions as a complex junction with inconsistent driver expectations, and it is not typical for a high-volume parking lot to tie in directly to an intersection.     

“With a 3-way stop, it would be the simplest and most effective (method) to normalize expectations for everyone. Ensure legally required stopping behaviour from Quads traffic, and provide consistent control year-round, regardless of variable usage patterns,” said Yanke, noting their may be some driver frustration potentially on 30th Ave. particularly in the winter months when the Quads aren’t in use. “From our perspective … we view the safety as our highest concern so that’s why Option 1 has been recommended.” 

Councillors discussed the three options presented, as well as asked questions and provided comments about the intersection. 

Coaldale Mayor Jack Van Rijn said he met with residents on 13th Street many times about the issue in 2025 and noted meetings including other members of council as well. He suggested a fourth option, that included installing a stop sign only at the Quads exit. 

“I think there would be a fourth option available because the problem that they (residents) say during the quad season is that people that are leaving the Quads are always in a hurry to beat the traffic,” said Van Rijn. “They don’t even stop at that intersection of 13th and 30th – they just blow through. So in my view if we put a stop sign in the Quads, that should mitigate that …but just talking to the residents, that would be the most common sense thing to do.” 

Coun. Jacen Abrey also shared some comments on the matter.   

“I do like the 3-way stop sign option because it simplifies it, and if we’re looking at public safety, we should be looking at 365 days not just when the Quads are in use,” said Abrey. “So I really am in favour of the 3-way stop and I thank you guys for the detail in your report.” 

Coun. Lisa Reis wanted to know that because It’s a seasonal issue, if the 3-way stop sign could be enforced seasonally as well. 

Yanke noted it is not typical to do that and could cause confusion for drivers.     

Coun. Bill Chapman said he too was in favour of Option 1 and made a comment referring to how humans are creatures of habit and having a consistent system all- year round helps create good habits. He also asked if the 3-way stop could be reviewed in a few months time to see how it’s working out. 

Yanke noted the review is something that could be done.