The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor A city council committee is heeding calls for a new crosswalk but refusing to back down on a much-maligned four-way stop. At their latest meeting, held last month, the city's Traffic Commission recommended that a solar-light crosswalk be installed on Green Street at the Balsam Avenue intersection. The commission decided that Director of Works and Operations Rick Bacon would review the exact location. The matter is now expected to come to a vote among all of council. It is likely to pass, but that remains to be seen. This past fall, concerned resident Cory Raddysh told council that pedestrians have trouble crossing from 341 Green Street, where the sidewalk ends, to the zoo property. 'As you all know, Green Street is one of the busiest streets in town and it is very difficult to cross at the location safely without a crosswalk,' he wrote in a letter. Safety concerns Raddysh wrote that the safety concerns are especially high after class or when other events are occurring at nearby Ecole McIsaac School. Meanwhile, on South Hudson Street, the Traffic Commission is rejecting the latest request to remove the four-way stop at the Phelps Avenue intersection. In a recent letter, neighbourhood resident Heather Brickner told council the four-way stop may actually be making the street more dangerous. But the commission recommended that Brickner be advised the intersection is 'in the review period' and will remain as is. In her letter, Brickner said motorists fail to stop at the intersection, 'likely because other drivers see it as unnecessary,' and speeds near her home have seemingly increased. While regularly using the intersection over the last year, Brickner said only twice has she seen vehicles on Phelps Avenue 'and usually there are no vehicles at the all-way stop.' 'This indicates to me that the traffic volumes are very low, and that the all-way stop is not warranted,' she wrote. Brickner further said it is 'difficult if not impossible' for southbound motorists on South Hudson to see the side streets after coming to a halt. She cited research into multi-way stops that concluded they do not control speeds. In fact, she wrote, 'unwarranted' all-way stops increase speeds 'some distance from the intersection' as drivers try to 'make up' for time lost at the stop. Several other residents have expressed concerns over the four-way stop, which was installed a little over a year ago to address speeding concerns on South Hudson Street.
