The school year has started, but a new traffic signal intended to better protect children crossing West 16th on their way to Norma Rose Point Elementary has yet not been installed.
The transportation ministry has once again revised the completion timeline to update the busy crossing at West 16th and Binning Road, and now expects the changes to be made during the first half of September—two weeks after school starts.
The community has been waiting for almost a year for the change from the existing pedestrian-activated flasher to a full traffic signal featuring the standard green, yellow, and red lights for drivers, along with walk/don’t walk signals for pedestrians.
The crossing sees about 900 pedestrians a day during the school year, many of whom are children.
Concerned parents have noted that many vehicles fail to stop for pedestrians, even when the pedestrian flasher is activated. They were the first to bring the issue to the attention of the UNA.
As a result, the UNA has been pressing the transportation ministry to make changes, most recently through a letter to the ministry in October 2023.
“Over the past two years, I have witnessed numerous close calls at that crossing with vehicles failing to stop for children and excessively speeding,” said Mark Sissons, a Wesbrook Mall resident and father of a nine-year-old student at Norma Rose Point Elementary.
In the spring, the transportation ministry told The Campus Resident that “the design of this safety improvement is currently underway, and we anticipate that the signal upgrade will be completed before school resumes after Labour Day.”
Three months later, the ministry announced that “the new signal is expected to be implemented in September,” without providing a specific date, and mentioned that “the next step is the procurement of materials by the ministry’s electrical contractor.”
The ministry’s vague response has worried parents, who are increasingly frustrated as the new school year approaches with the issue still unresolved.
“As a parent, I am greatly concerned that not upgrading it could one day have catastrophic consequences and I urge the authorities to take action immediately,” Sissons said.
After failing to meet the initial deadline, the ministry has been hesitant to offer a new completion date. When pressed for a more precise answer, the ministry said: “Crews plan to install the new signal by mid-September,” but added, “depending on weather and material availability.”
ADA BUCUR IS A CAMPUS RESIDENT, POSSESSES A GRAPHIC DESIGN DIPLOMA, A PHOTOGRAPHY CERTIFICATE, AND OVER TWO DECADES OF JOURNALISM EXPERTISE GAINED IN HER NATIVE ROMANIA.