FAQ

A traffic pilot project is where the city makes temporary changes to the configuration of a street, intersection, or area for a defined period of time.

The purpose of a pilot project depends on the area that is being studied. Generally there are several goals such as improving traffic flow, enhancing pedestrian safety and reducing the number of potential conflict points between vehicles and/or pedestrians. The exact goal will be specific to the project.

Pilot projects are conducted to test changes at low cost to allow a true evaluation of the project before Council decides whether or not to implement a permanent change.

During the trial period the City’s Transportation Engineering group will monitor the area. Observations can include things such as the number of cars, speed of cars, and traffic flow patterns. Near the end of the pilot project a public survey will be circulated to gather direct feedback from those affected. The observations and public feedback will be combined in an evaluation of the pilot project and presented to City Council to determine if the changes will become a permanent feature of the area.

The City announces the projects in advance via Public Service Announcement that is posted online and circulated to all local media outlets.  A notice is delivered to residents and businesses that are directly impacted in the immediate area of the pilot project. A notice is published in the Telegram, and the City shares the information on various social media channels.  Each project is also listed on the city of St. John’s engage page - engagestjohns.ca

The changes to the area will be clearly marked using road signs, and other temporary equipment such as rubber curbs, pylons, and mobile concrete barriers. We expect that pilot projects will take some time to get used to. Pilot projects stay in place for at least a couple months to ensure people have enough time to adjust to the change before the evaluation is completed.

There will be some inconvenience to local residents and visitors as some travel routes will be impacted. The general public can share their feedback in the following ways:

- Participate in the public survey which is now open for a two week period

- Contact your Ward Council Representative

- Each pilot project has its own dedicated Q&A section. Please find the project pages listed here.

- Contact Access St. John's

Recommendations of each project can be found on the Committee of the Whole meeting minutes for April 11, 2018 (link here ).Council's decision on each project was made at their regular meeting of April 16, 2018 (link here). 

2018 Projects are all listed on the City's website link here