Changes coming to dangerous intersection

“People aren’t even watching when they’re turning through,” says Murray Alce, an area resident who’s seen one too many close calls at the east-end intersection, which will receive advance left-turn arrows for northbound and southbound vehicles, as well as pedestrian countdown timers, on Monday, Nov. 9. “By the time they’re committed to going, they’re looking at the car in front of them. I’ve seen cars come close to people crossing the street. It’s dangerous. There should be a trade-off between allowing the flow of traffic … and the safety of residents.”

For Alce, whose daughter attends Gisele-Lalonde high school, one close call even saw him scooping his daughter up out of the street thanks to close-turning vehicles. And though the intersection has been an ongoing issue, the addition of a Tim Horton’s, Sobey’s and other businesses yielding high traffic – along with two area schools – hasn’t helped matters, he continues.

The issue, Alce recounts, mostly comes during peak hours, between 7 and 9 a.m. and 3 and 5 p.m., pointing to the safety of his own children and others as the motivator for demanding the city find a solution. “That’s when it’s dangerous,” he says. “Other than that, it’s not too bad.”

As for the upcoming city installation at the intersection, “I’m waiting to see if it works,” Alce adds. “I was hoping they’d run into this problem before … therefore they would have a solution hopefully that works. I’m hoping it relieves the problem.”

Cumberland Coun. Rob Jellett, whose ward includes the intersection, explains attempts to improve safety conditions were in the works even before residents started to complain. “We had to push for it,” he admits of initial staff response to inquiries, with their first answer a negative against installing additional traffic features at the site. “I’m very thankful to the residents who sent in letters, because it allowed me (to push that request).”

The issue, Jellett continues, is because of the intersection’s shape, northbound vehicles especially are not at a vantage point to view incoming traffic or crossing pedestrians. Also adding to the problem is the recent influx of new businesses and homes along the corridor, he says. “With all this growth taking place … more and more traffic is going into that intersection,” Jellett describes. “Lots of cars make that left turn on Innes Road.”

The goal, he explains, is better safety for residents, also indicating Portobello as another section that will likely require a left-turn signal in the future, with turns there already “difficult” and plans for expanding the roadway on the horizon.

And though Alce expresses his reservations about what’s being installed at Trim and Innes – admitting he would prefer to see something giving more time for pedestrians to cross without going against traffic – he also gives credit to the city for doing something about the issue. “At least something’s getting done,” Alce says. “I’m going to be pushing for something else (if it doesn’t work).”