Crosswalk improvements have been recommended for three intersections around Nanaimo.
The finance and audit committee, during a meeting Wednesday, June 18, made recommendations for raised crosswalks at Townsite Road at St. Patrick’s Crescent, Waddington Road at Dufferin Crescent, and Portsmouth Road at Applecross Road.
"Not only do these create better pedestrian crossing opportunities, but have the secondary benefit of managing speed along each of our corridors," said Jamie Rose, Nanaimo's manager of transportation, at the meeting.
Staff's recommendation to the committee was slightly different than what was passed, as city staff's formula suggested that Wallace Street at Franklyn Street should have been in line for improvements ahead of Waddington Road at Dufferin Crescent.
According to Rose, the need is calculated through analysis of a series of core safety and mobility issues, such as proximity to schools and transit and collision trends. This applies to both current data as well as projections based on potential growth.
"We were then able to [input] that into a GIS system that could automatically review each of the existing crosswalks across the city to give us this broad spectrum review and give us these attention-grabbing numbers to make some determinations for where we should be focusing our investments."
Once added to the pedestrian unallocated budget for 2025, the crosswalks are expected to be scoped, designed then finally constructed over a period of about two years. Three crosswalks are traditionally selected each year.
During discussions, Coun. Hilary Eastmure said she couldn't support adding Wallace Street at Franklyn Street to the list, pointing to limited business activity at that intersection.
"I pass through this area here pretty much every day and I don't see the case for a second crosswalk there, we already have the one on the other side of the intersection," she said. "There's absolutely nothing on the other side of the road people are crossing to."
Coun. Ian Thorpe was one of the voices against removing Wallace Street at Franklyn Street from the list, saying he wasn't prepared to look at alternate sites outside of the recommendations from the staff formula.
"I don't think that's appropriate compared to what has been identified by our staff as a higher priority," he said.
Following Wallace Street at Franklyn Street being struck, a motion was initiated by Coun. Ben Geselbracht to add Elizabeth Street at Howard Avenue, an intersection that had previously been brought to staff's attention via 20 letters from members of the Fairview Elementary School community. The motion failed.
Ultimately, Waddington Road at Dufferin Crescent was selected to take the spot, with only Coun. Janice Perrino voting in opposition. According to a staff report, it had the same priority ranking as Portsmouth Road at Applecross Road, but the north-end intersection was recommended due to "strong public support expressed" during recent Woodgrove area plan community consultation.
Each intersection has a budget of $100,000 for improvements.
