EDITOR’S NOTE: HUB Cycling incorrectly stated there had been three cyclist deaths at the intersection of Lonsdale Avenue and 23rd Street in the past five years. ICBC data shows there have been three cyclist deaths in North Vancouver in the past five years.
Following another fatal crash involving a cyclist and a vehicle at a North Vancouver intersection Monday, advocates say more needs to be done to protect everyone on the road.
Just before 10:30 a.m. March 6, a North Vancouver resident in her 40s was struck by a dump truck while she was cycling through the intersection of Lonsdale Avenue and 23rd Street.
Police were en route to an unrelated call when they came across the crash scene and found the woman with “significant injuries,” Mounties said.
“Officers immediately applied life-saving measures on the cyclist, however, tragically, she was pronounced deceased by medical personnel a short time later,” Const. Mansoor Sahak said Monday.
Navdeep Chhina, director of campaigns and inclusion at HUB Cycling, told Global News this intersection has been a huge problem.
“It has been one of the biggest conflict areas in North Vancouver,” he said.
He noted there have been 135 incidents reported over the past five years at that intersection.
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“In addition, two people – two vulnerable road users – have died at that intersection, not counting the incident yesterday,” Chhina added.
Recently, the District of North Vancouver council has been looking at ways to make the roads safer for all users, including implementing new safety measures to slow down traffic along Delbrook Avenue.
Chhina said this is a good step but it does not go far enough.
“What we need to do is take the conflict out of a person driving, a person cycling and a person walking,” he said. “That is the only way we can really get more people walking, cycling and removing the conditions from the roads.”
Chhina said he knows there are days people need to drive, walk or take transit but they need to make sure there are safe ways for people to do that.
“At the end of the day, we have to have separate infrastructure so we can take out the conflict.”
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