No easy solution to safety concerns in Mount Royal pedestrian underpasses

To close, or not to close three pedestrian underpasses in the Mount Royal neighborhood. That is one of the questions the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners will consider at this afternoon’s meeting.

Two of the underpasses connect Vancouver Avenue North with Confederation Park Plaza and Massey Place, while the third along Edmonton Avenue near 31st Street connects to apartments in the 1100 block of Avenue W North.

In August 2019, the Mount Royal Community Association brought forward concerns to the city about public intoxication, drug-related activity and vandalism in and around the underpasses. A recommendation was made to the city to close them at night.

Since then, Saskatoon Police Special Cst. John Ng and Cst. Sydney Hollingsworth looked at five years of crime statistics in the same areas beginning on Jan. 1, 2015 and ending Sept. 30, 2019. They found at least 80 incidents including physical assaults, robberies and threats, graffiti, and alcohol and drug use in and around the tunnels.

‘William,’ who declined to have his last name used, has lived directly in front of one of the underpasses for more than 50 years.

While he said he wouldn’t walk through them at night, without them, residents would attempt to cross either active train tracks in the area or busy Circle Drive creating traffic safety issues.

“I guess maybe once in a while there’s some stuff going on there, that shouldn’t be going on. The kids though, they’ll take chances running across in front of traffic. I think they’re a good thing.”

His wife Mabel echos her husband’s sentiments.

“I really feel they’re necessary ’cause otherwise they have to go across the highway and the track.”

In an effort to find out whether there have been similar issues in other cities, Cst. Hollingsworth reviewed articles and actions taken in various communities in Calgary and Medicine Hat. In the Calgary example, the underpass was closed and an overpass was erected.

It was also noted by police that the condition of the underpasses can have either a positive or negative effect on crime, that increased levels of foot traffic increase safety, and semi-isolated locations can attract anti-social behaviour if it seems no one is responsible for patrolling the area.

The Saskatoon report concludes that the public does utilize the underpasses on a regular basis, and that there is no way at this time to determine whether they are contributing to crime the greater neighborhood.

If any closure does take place in the future, it should be done as a pilot project in order to assess its effectiveness.