Photo: Flickr

Kalso council has approved a road closure request that will allow for a bike safety course to be presented to Grade 4-6 students.

On March 3, community member Shelagh Smith penned a letter to the Town of Creston expressing concerns around frequent disregard for the stop sign between the intersection of First Street and E Avenue in Kaslo.

In collaboration with the North Kootenay Bike Shop and J.V. Humphries Elementary School, Smith said that she wanted to give a one-hour class presentation class at Vimy Park to elementary school children to teach road safety, and bike safety checks, and provide safety packages.

To display several road safety scenarios, Smith is requesting the closure of First Street (Ring Road), E Avenue and Second Street to be temporarily closed on May 3 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The request also seeks the support of the council to provide the Vimy Park picnic shelter at no cost to keep expenditures low.

"I live by the skateboard park in lower Kaslo and frequently see cyclists of all ages speed through the stop sign at the intersection of D Lane (alley) and First Street (Ring Road),” Smith explained in the letter.

Community members have placed an additional sign further down on E avenue to warn of children playing and to reinforce the 25 km speed zone to help reduce the danger.

Despite a yellow “children playing” sign being placed near the skateboard park, Smith claimed that cars have not slowed down to a safe speed.

According to ICBC, 14 people are involved in fatal incidents at intersections in the Southern Interior each year. Cyclists typically account for 14 per cent percent of these recorded incidents.

The group plans to outline more details of the upcoming activities at the next council meeting, slated for March 25