At the corner of Monkland and Hingston avenues in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG), people are getting fed up of drivers flying through the crosswalk.
“When I try to cross Monkland, nobody stops. No Cars. They don’t care,” said NDG resident Patricia Renard.
“Frequently I have to walk into the middle of the street and wave my hands to get them to notice there are people trying to cross,” said Heidi Wasson, who lives close by.
There is no stop sign or light at the intersection, but drivers should be stopping at the crosswalk and letting pedestrians cross.
Some worry the corner is an accident waiting to happen. Wasson doesn’t allow her children to cross there.
“We don’t let them cross alone because we don’t deem it safe. They have to walk three-four blocks to go to a stop light,” she told Global News.
Some residents want to see traffic-calming measures there. There was a flashing light on top of one of the signs pointing to the crosswalk until recently.
“We had one of those two years ago, and for some reason it disappeared,” Wasson said.
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City councillor Peter McQueen blames the borough mayor.
“The sign sort of wears out, then it’s like okay it wore out, that’s the end of that. No. Pedestrian safety has to be a top priority,” McQueen said.
Borough mayor Russell Copeman told Global News that with or without flashing lights, motorists too often ignore crosswalks.
“Depending on the surrounding environment, they are too often ignored by drivers. Better driver education and enforcement is required,” he said in an email statement.
READ MORE: NDG residents worried about dangerous intersection
Copeman said sidewalk extensions on Monkland Avenue have helped.
“They reduce the speed of drivers and the exposed crossing time for pedestrians,” he said.
McQueen thinks a stop sign should be put at Hingston and Monkland.
Residents feel like they’re fending for themselves.
“You have to try to make sure they see you. If you don’t make eye contact, they could be texting or doing something else,” said NDG resident Nigel Williams.
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