Delineator Pilot Removed After Pedestrian-Safety Concerns on Danish Road

A temporary traffic-calming demonstration on Danish Road prompted safety concerns from council members and residents on Tuesday, and the council asked public-works staff to remove the temporary delineators immediately while collecting further data.

Public-works staff described the May 22 installation of removable bollards and signage near the Daneborg intersection to narrow the travel lanes and slow speeds. Staff said the installation produced both thumbs-up from some residents and a “pretty significant number” of calls opposing it. A recurring concern: the narrow segment where many residents — including schoolchildren waiting at a bus stop — walk has no sidewalk or shoulder, creating a situation where pedestrians may be pushed into travel lanes.

Council members and staff debated short-term and longer-term options. Council member comments included proposals to remove double-yellow centerlines in constrained sections, add advance MUTCD signage announcing a 15-mph zone, and install temporary speed bumps north and south of the blind hill. Several members emphasized that a permanent fix would require sidewalks or more substantial capital work and that those improvements are costly.

Public-works staff said the pilot has slowed traffic where the delineation remains and recommended collecting speed samples after drivers become accustomed to the installation. But after multiple council members raised concerns that the delineation could put pedestrians at greater risk where there is no sidewalk, the mayor asked staff to remove the delineators immediately; staff agreed.

Staff will pursue follow-up steps including short-term paint treatments to visually narrow lanes, temporary speed-hump trials that are compatible with snowplow operations, and radar-based speed sampling to measure driver behavior. Any long-term treatments would be considered within a broader prioritization plan for traffic-calming investments across the city.