More and more Lethbridge residents are taking to the sidewalks rather than roads.
Foot traffic has increased in our city and officials say pedestrian safety is a top priority for Lethbridge.
“It’s the responsibility of everybody who is on the road, it be pedestrian, cyclist or drivers,” says Ahmed Ali with the City of Lethbridge.
A pedestrian crossing on the west side of Whoop Up Drive was installed a few years ago after a man lost his life while crossing the street, now the same cross walk with lights and reduced speed is being installed on the east side, exiting onto Scenic Drive South.
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“It will have lights and advanced warnings plus a zebra crossing at that location,” says Ali.
A new walkway has been put in for pedestrians, increasing the need for well lit and marked cross walks.
Doug Kryzanowski with Safety City says anytime cross walks can be improved are a benefit to both drivers and those on foot.
“These factors are necessities and I think the city has probably identified the hot spots in the city.”
In 2012 Lethbridge Regional Police responded to a number of pedestrian collisions, at least two of those being fatal.
With more cross walks, and improvements to existing ones- the city hopes to reduce the number of collisions and provide a safe, foot friendly city for residents.
“They all have to share the responsibility so we have no fatalities, no collisions in the city,” says Ali.
Safety City says educating the public, both drivers and pedestrians is important, if people don’t use the crossing properly they are still at risk.
“It’s truly about education and getting to the youth and explaining to them that this is what can happen and it isn’t pretty, so be mindful, be aware, practice it and hopefully no one will get hurt,” says Kryzanowski.
The new pedestrian crossing on Scenic and Whoop Up will be functional Thursday.
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