Latest news with #RCUT
Global News
6 days ago
- General
- Global News
Manitoba plan to upgrade intersection where bus crash killed 17 faces opposition
Bureaucrats and consultants got an earful from local residents Wednesday night as they presented their preferred safety upgrade to a highway intersection where a crash killed 17 people in 2023. Although the final decision will rest with politicians, the Transportation Department, in conjunction with two firms hired to help weigh different options, is suggesting a design known as an RCUT, or restricted crossing U-turn. The design allows traffic on the main highway to flow freely, while people on a side highway are prevented from crossing directly or turning left. Instead, they must turn right, merge with traffic, execute a U-turn and then merge again. 'It's just a recipe for disaster, honestly,' Debra Steen, a resident who helped collect more than 2,000 signatures on a petition against the RCUT. 'The RCUT will not work here because we have large farming equipment, and we have trucking associations.' Story continues below advertisement Steen was among dozens of residents who attended an open house on the proposed change in a crowded school gymnasium, with many telling the government hosts the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 5 needs an overpass to separate traffic. At times, the meeting hosts asked for order and for people to speak one at a time. Tragedy struck at the intersection in June 2023 when a bus carrying 24 seniors from the Dauphin area, heading south on Highway 5, crossed into the path of an eastbound semi-trailer on Highway 1. The latter road is part of the Trans-Canada Highway system. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The semi-trailer had the right of way, and the bus driver had a yield sign. The collision caused the bus to catch fire and end up in a ditch. Some of the 17 who died were thrown from the vehicle. 1:04 'It's a no-brainer': Officials in Carberry, Man., call for overpass at deadly intersection Police and Crown attorneys did not lay charges, saying they could not prove the bus driver's actions that day rose to the level of being criminal. Story continues below advertisement The intersection currently allows traffic to flow freely on the Trans-Canada Highway, while vehicles on Highway 5 have a stop sign as they first arrive at the intersection, followed by a yield sign in the median. The NDP government promised to improve the intersection and floated several possibilities, ranging from a roundabout — rejected because it might slow down traffic — to a wider median that would provide more space for trucks waiting to cross the Trans-Canada or turn left onto it. The RCUT was chosen because it has fewer points of conflict where vehicles heading in different directions might collide, a Transportation department official said. 'It's a common intersection treatment in some of the United States,' Dustin Booy, executive director of highway engineering services, said. 'Saskatchewan recently constructed their first RCUT northwest of Saskatoon and it seems to be operating very effectively from a safety performance perspective.' A RCUT also allows vehicles from the smaller highway to get up to speed while merging instead of coming to a stop and then having to speed up quickly, Booy said. Many at Wednesday's gathering were not won over by the illustrated boards that touted the RCUT. One man was applauded when he said a better option would be to widen the intersection, replace the yield sign in the median with a stop sign, and reduce the speed on the Trans-Canada Highway for several hundred metres in each direction. Story continues below advertisement 'We all know how dangerous the intersection is right now. We've all seen … wrecks. I can't believe there hasn't been a lot more fatalities,' he said.
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Manitoba plan to upgrade intersection where bus crash killed 17 faces opposition
Bureaucrats and consultants got an earful from local residents Wednesday night as they presented their preferred safety upgrade to a highway intersection where a crash killed 17 people in 2023. Although the final decision will rest with politicians, the Transportation Department, in conjunction with two firms hired to help weigh different options, is suggesting a design known as an RCUT, or restricted crossing U-turn. The design allows traffic on the main highway to flow freely, while people on a side highway are prevented from crossing directly or turning left. Instead, they must turn right, merge with traffic, execute a U-turn and then merge again. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'It's just a recipe for disaster, honestly,' Debra Steen, a resident who helped collect more than 2,000 signatures on a petition against the RCUT. 'The R-cut will not work here because we have large farming equipment, and we have trucking associations.' Steen was among dozens of residents who attended an open house on the proposed change in a crowded school gymnasium, with many telling the government hosts the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 5 needs an overpass to separate traffic. At times, the meeting hosts asked for order and for people to speak one at a time. Tragedy struck at the intersection in June 2023 when a bus carrying 24 seniors from the Dauphin area, heading south on Highway 5, crossed into the path of an eastbound semi-trailer on Highway 1. The latter road is part of the Trans-Canada Highway system. The semi-trailer had the right of way, and the bus driver had a yield sign. The collision caused the bus to catch fire and end up in a ditch. Some of the 17 who died were thrown from the vehicle. Police and Crown attorneys did not lay charges, saying they could not prove the bus driver's actions that day rose to the level of being criminal. The intersection currently allows traffic to flow freely on the Trans-Canada Highway, while vehicles on Highway 5 have a stop sign as they first arrive at the intersection, followed by a yield sign in the median. The NDP government promised to improve the intersection and floated several possibilities, ranging from a roundabout — rejected because it might slow down traffic — to a wider median that would provide more space for trucks waiting to cross the Trans-Canada or turn left onto it. The RCUT was chosen because it has fewer points of conflict where vehicles heading in different directions might collide, a Transportation department official said. 'It's a common intersection treatment in some of the United States,' Dustin Booy, executive director of highway engineering services, said. 'Saskatchewan recently constructed their first RCUT northwest of Saskatoon and it seems to be operating very effectively from a safety performance perspective.' A RCUT also allows vehicles from the smaller highway to get up to speed while merging instead of coming to a stop and then having to speed up quickly, Booy said. Many at Wednesday's gathering were not won over by the illustrated boards that touted the RCUT. One man was applauded when he said a better option would be to widen the intersection, replace the yield sign in the median with a stop sign, and reduce the speed on the Trans-Canada Highway for several hundred metres in each direction. 'We all know how dangerous the intersection is right now. We've all seen … wrecks. I can't believe there hasn't been a lot more fatalities,' he said. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
National Post
6 days ago
- National Post
Manitoba plan to upgrade intersection where bus crash killed 17 faces opposition
Bureaucrats and consultants got an earful from local residents Wednesday night as they presented their preferred safety upgrade to a highway intersection where a crash killed 17 people in 2023. Article content Although the final decision will rest with politicians, the Transportation Department, in conjunction with two firms hired to help weigh different options, is suggesting a design known as an RCUT, or restricted crossing U-turn. Article content Article content The design allows traffic on the main highway to flow freely, while people on a side highway are prevented from crossing directly or turning left. Instead, they must turn right, merge with traffic, execute a U-turn and then merge again. Article content Article content 'It's just a recipe for disaster, honestly,' Debra Steen, a resident who helped collect more than 2,000 signatures on a petition against the RCUT. Article content 'The R-cut will not work here because we have large farming equipment, and we have trucking associations.' Article content Steen was among dozens of residents who attended an open house on the proposed change in a crowded school gymnasium, with many telling the government hosts the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 5 needs an overpass to separate traffic. At times, the meeting hosts asked for order and for people to speak one at a time. Article content Article content Tragedy struck at the intersection in June 2023 when a bus carrying 24 seniors from the Dauphin area, heading south on Highway 5, crossed into the path of an eastbound semi-trailer on Highway 1. The latter road is part of the Trans-Canada Highway system. Article content Article content The semi-trailer had the right of way, and the bus driver had a yield sign. The collision caused the bus to catch fire and end up in a ditch. Some of the 17 who died were thrown from the vehicle. Article content Police and Crown attorneys did not lay charges, saying they could not prove the bus driver's actions that day rose to the level of being criminal. Article content The intersection currently allows traffic to flow freely on the Trans-Canada Highway, while vehicles on Highway 5 have a stop sign as they first arrive at the intersection, followed by a yield sign in the median. Article content The NDP government promised to improve the intersection and floated several possibilities, ranging from a roundabout — rejected because it might slow down traffic — to a wider median that would provide more space for trucks waiting to cross the Trans-Canada or turn left onto it.
CBC
7 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Carberry residents decry proposed RCUT as 'dangerous and unsafe' at tense forum over future of intersection
Social Sharing Transportation engineers presented their plan for a Carberry-area intersection on Wednesday, pushing forward a controversial design that scores of community members rallied against last month. More than 100 community members confronted officials at a tense public forum at Carberry Collegiate about the fate of the Highway 1 and Highway 5 intersection, where 17 people died in a crash two years ago. The event was billed as a public open house, hosted by the Winnipeg-based firms Landmark Planning & Design and WSP Canada Inc., on behalf of Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure. Some community members raised voices, saying they didn't feel like they were being heard, while others interrupted the companies' representatives as they attempted to answer questions from the crowd. A petition with more than 2,100 signatures was handed to the firms' representatives, imploring the province not to move forward with the RCUT intersection design. In May, more than 100 protesters rallied near the intersection voicing concerns the proposed design would create safety issues and confusion. A restricted crossing U-turn — or RCUT — at that intersection would mean traffic attempting to cross the Trans-Canada on Highway 5 would have to turn right onto the Trans-Canada, then cross the median by making a left U-turn, before turning right to resume travelling on Highway 5. Here's the RCUT design proposed for Manitoba intersection 2 days ago Duration 0:11 Jordan Dickson, who helped organize the May protest, expressed her frustration directly with engineers on Wednesday night, encouraging others to do the same. "Absolutely no one in attendance is in support of the RCUT," she said. "It is dangerous and unsafe for this area of the Trans-Canada. Hopefully the province doesn't actually go through with this and they decide to actually spend some money on rural citizens for once," Dickson said, stressing the RCUT will make driving more stressful for farmers driving large trucks and farm equipment along the highway. Last year, engineers with Manitoba's transportation and infrastructure department shortlisted three potential solutions for the intersection: widening the median, a roundabout or an RCUT. On Wednesday, the RCUT was presented as the department's "preferred alternative." Dustin Booy, the transportation department's executive director of highway engineering services, said the RCUT is their top choice because it reduces the number of "conflict points," or areas where drivers cross traffic travelling a different direction, which could make accidents less likely. "The primary objective of our team is safety. So we looked to the RCUT because its use in other areas have shown quite dramatic results in terms of safety performance," Booy said. Canada's only RCUT intersection is along Highway 16 near Saskatoon. Booy said they have improved safety in some parts of the United States. Wednesday's contentious open house was the third and final public engagement event for this project. Booy said the department will only be presenting provincial leaders with the RCUT as its preferred design for this intersection, but it won't be set in stone until the government weighs in. An exact cost estimate isn't available yet, but Booy says it could cost about $20 million. "At this point, it's up to the government to make a decision about how we proceed," he said, adding that the province typically chooses the department's preferred option, but that isn't always the case. "The local community has expressed a measure of concern with the intersection treatment and that's fair. It's their local community," Booy said. Carberry Mayor Ray Muirhead said he was disappointed to see that Transportation Minister Lisa Naylor wasn't at the meeting, after cancelling a stakeholder meeting earlier this week. Muirhead's council is calling on the province to build an overpass, something community members have been asking for since he first joined local government in the late 1980s. "Nobody wants the RCUT. We're all opposed to it. We feel that there should be an overpass," he said. "I think it's time to spend the money and do it right the first time." The government has previously said it's not considering an overpass because there isn't enough traffic to warrant one. Community organizer Dickson said transportation engineers should come back in the fall to see how busy the highway gets during harvest season. Booy said his team plans to return in the fall to collect more data. Despite tensions between engineers and Carberry residents, Debra Steen said this was the first time she felt the community was heard throughout the engagement process. "Our concerns have been dismissed since Day 1. And I don't think they could dismiss us today. I think the message was clear, the petition is there, and we have our MLA on board," Steen said. Opposition Progressive Conservative MLA Jodie Byram, who Agassiz riding includes Carberry, said she agrees that the province needs to consider other options for the intersection. "I do believe that there needs to be further consultation and review of what it might look like here for this community at [Highway] 1 and [Highway] 5," Byram said. Mayor Muirhead said he feels like the RCUT may be inevitable, but he's hopeful Wednesday's community turnout will cut the RCUT from consideration. "I've seen in my experience over the years, that if there's enough of a public outcry … certain situations have changed course. The government seems to find money in certain situations. I'm hoping that will happen here," he said. Engineer Booy said he hopes community members will keep open minds about the intersection. "I truly believe in the safety of this solution," he said, hopeful his team can move forward with the RCUT.
CTV News
7 days ago
- CTV News
Manitoba plan to upgrade Carberry intersection where bus crash killed 17 faces opposition
A scorched patch of ground where a bus carrying seniors ended up after colliding with a transport truck and is seen on the edge of the Trans-Canada Highway where it intersects with Hwy 5, near Carberry, Man., Friday, June 16, 2023. The crash killed 17 people. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck CARBERRY -- Bureaucrats and consultants got an earful from local residents Wednesday night as they presented their preferred safety upgrade to a highway intersection where a crash killed 17 people in 2023. Although the final decision will rest with politicians, the Transportation Department, in conjunction with two firms hired to help weigh different options, is suggesting a design known as an RCUT, or restricted crossing U-turn. The design allows traffic on the main highway to flow freely, while people on a side highway are prevented from crossing directly or turning left. Instead, they must turn right, merge with traffic, execute a U-turn and then merge again. 'It's just a recipe for disaster, honestly,' Debra Steen, a resident who helped collect more than 2,000 signatures on a petition against the RCUT. 'The R-cut will not work here because we have large farming equipment, and we have trucking associations.' Steen was among dozens of residents who attended an open house on the proposed change in a crowded school gymnasium, with many telling the government hosts the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 5 needs an overpass to separate traffic. At times, the meeting hosts asked for order and for people to speak one at a time. Tragedy struck at the intersection in June 2023 when a bus carrying 24 seniors from the Dauphin area, heading south on Highway 5, crossed into the path of an eastbound semi-trailer on Highway 1. The latter road is part of the Trans-Canada Highway system. The semi-trailer had the right of way, and the bus driver had a yield sign. The collision caused the bus to catch fire and end up in a ditch. Some of the 17 who died were thrown from the vehicle. Police and Crown attorneys did not lay charges, saying they could not prove the bus driver's actions that day rose to the level of being criminal. The intersection currently allows traffic to flow freely on the Trans-Canada Highway, while vehicles on Highway 5 have a stop sign as they first arrive at the intersection, followed by a yield sign in the median. The NDP government promised to improve the intersection and floated several possibilities, ranging from a roundabout -- rejected because it might slow down traffic -- to a wider median that would provide more space for trucks waiting to cross the Trans-Canada or turn left onto it. The RCUT was chosen because it has fewer points of conflict where vehicles heading in different directions might collide, a Transportation department official said. 'It's a common intersection treatment in some of the United States,' Dustin Booy, executive director of highway engineering services, said. 'Saskatchewan recently constructed their first RCUT northwest of Saskatoon and it seems to be operating very effectively from a safety performance perspective.' A RCUT also allows vehicles from the smaller highway to get up to speed while merging instead of coming to a stop and then having to speed up quickly, Booy said. Many at Wednesday's gathering were not won over by the illustrated boards that touted the RCUT. One man was applauded when he said a better option would be to widen the intersection, replace the yield sign in the median with a stop sign, and reduce the speed on the Trans-Canada Highway for several hundred metres in each direction. 'We all know how dangerous the intersection is right now. We've all seen ... wrecks. I can't believe there hasn't been a lot more fatalities,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
