‘Close calls’ prompt request for crossing guard at Lord Roberts Public School intersection

There have been too many close calls at a residential four-way stop, say the parents of kids attending Lord Roberts French Immersion Public School.

For one local mother, a scary incident before the winter holidays was the final straw: Heather MacEachern-Tarasick says she was halfway across Princess Avenue at the intersection of Maitland Street when she and her two children were nearly hit by a vehicle.

“I actually had to put my hand on the hood of the car, to bring to the driver’s attention that there were pedestrians crossing at the crosswalk,” she explained.

Shortly afterwards, MacEachern-Tarasick began an online petition asking the city to hire a crossing guard for the intersection. It has garnered more than 200 signatures so far, and is being brought forward at Tuesday afternoon’s community and protective services meeting by Ward 13 Coun. Tanya Park.

“It’s sort of a strangely set up intersection,” said MacEachern-Tarasick.

Maitland Street doesn’t run straight through; it bends or “jogs” in the intersection, making for an irregularly shaped four-way stop. As a result, the distance between both stop signs on Princess Avenue is further than the distance between the stop signs on Maitland Street.

“It’s a little off-centre, and I think people don’t realize necessarily that it’s a four-way stop,” she said.

She points out there’s traffic congestion, caused by parents dropping or picking up their kids while others are “rushing to work and not being mindful.”

Park says the request for a crossing guard falls in line with one of the city’s goals to make neighbourhoods safe and walkable. It’ll be submitted to the committee along with a letter from a concerned parent, and school council chair Sara Middleton.

“Traffic infractions are observed frequently,” writes Middleton.

“The physical, offset architecture of the intersection is problematic and makes it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians. In addition, parked cars and hedges and trees on adjacent private property create blind spots. A number of close calls between pedestrians and vehicles have been experienced by families in our school community.”

Tuesday’s community and protective services committee meeting begins at 4 p.m.