In the wake of Monday’s collision between a pedestrian and SUV that left a woman in hospital with serious injuries, other pedestrians who cross that same stretch of Sir John A. MacDonald Boulevard every day are asking for the city to step in.
“A cross-section, or maybe a light,” Jino Fathy said. “Something that will make the crossing be safer.”
Fathy, along with dozens of others, cross “Sir John A” twice a day, to get to a bus stop on Palace Road. A small pathway connects the two.
“701 and 702 are our express buses,” Xin Cheng said. “So I have to go across every day.”
They’re crossing from the intersection at Norman Rogers Road, otherwise, they would walk about 300 metres south to Brock Street, and then the same back up to the bus stop at Palace Road.
They’re doing this as they wait for cars to pass, and those vehicles often travel well over the post 50 kilometres per hour speed limit.
But city staff say they’re aware of the issue, and that previously implemented traffic-calming measures haven’t worked.
“Our before-and-after speed studies have shown us that vehicle speeds continue to remain the same,” City of Kingston traffic manager, Deanna Green, said. “So what we will be doing is looking at pedestrian safety measures for that intersection.”
Green added that could include a signalized crossing. The only thing holding it up — budget approval.