Road safety called into question in area near fatal transit bus fire and multi-vehicle wreck

Safety concerns have been raised about the area around a Saddle Ridge intersection where a fiery crash involving two Calgary Transit buses left three dead and more than a dozen people wounded Thursday.

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal said the section of Saddletowne Circle N.E. was already on his radar for safety updates but added he hopes a review can be expedited.

“I have always felt that we need to do some sort of traffic study or transportation study to look at that circle,” he said. “When that circle was planned, the northeast was way different — from the population size, from vehicular traffic, pedestrian traffic.”

He said he’ll be talking to the city’s transportation department about enhancing traffic safety in the area, as well as seeking input from residents.

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“The safety of Calgarians is foremost and a No. 1 priority for me and this council,” he said.

“We just want to grieve with those families who lost their loved ones, and I also want to, at the same time, send tons of gratitude to our first responders.”

Eight vehicles were involved in Thursday afternoon’s fatal crash that resulted in one of the two buses catching fire .

The heat from the flames was so intense, it left scorch marks in the pavement and broken glass fused to the asphalt.

Thirteen passengers were aboard the burning bus, three of whom were declared dead at the scene. The driver was able to exit the vehicle.

The driver of the other bus involved sustained life-altering injuries and was taken to hospital.

“ I had never imagined that something could happen on our s afe Calgary Transit n etwork,” he said.

“There was just disbelief and, right away, just thoughts and prayers for those who were involved — victims, our first responders, all of them, and the community as a whole.”