Townsite Road and Stewart Avenue
Rosehill Avenue and Stewart Avenue
Should crossings have crosswalk warning lights?
Councillor Bestwick drew attention to these two crossings on Stewart Avenue several council meetings ago. They both are long crossings going across six lanes when you count the parking lanes on both sides.
This combined at times with very heavy traffic coming and going from the BC Ferries terminal at Brechin Point with the number of pedestrians that use these crosswalks to get to the waterfront could be another accident just waiting to happen.
When Councillor Bestwick inquired of staff whether the Ministry of Transportation had been asked about installing the warning lights it was suggested it would be looked into.
This particular piece of road, while in the city of Nanaimo is a Provincial Highway and is also the official TC 1 going to Victoria.
Given the glacial speed of getting traffic controls installed (Haliburton & the Hwy.) it will likely be sometime before pedestrians will have the added safety of a warning light at either of these crossings. In the meantime pedestrians should always assume that drivers don't see them and make sure they have eye contact before venturing into the path of an oncoming car.
A fact, not bias, there are many unkept FADED crosswalks in Nanaimo - but council did approve spending $6,000 simply changing a colour, making a multi-coloured crosswalk at Bastion/Commercial. ???
ReplyDeleteNot a good use of safety/dollar spending.