Concerns for a busy intersection in Vancouver have not gone unheard by city officials but rectifying the issue may take years.
The intersection of Nanaimo Street and East 3 Avenue has been problematic for students and transit riders as it has no crosswalk, according to a student and a city councillor.
The 14-year-old student Elsa Rahim created a petition in February to spur action from the city which garnered hundreds of signatures. She said the unmarked intersection at Nanaimo Street and East 3 Avenue is busy daily with young students.
“It’s pretty bad, nobody really stops,” she told Global News in February.
“If you want to cross, you have to wait for the lights to sync up on either side.”
The closest crosswalk is two blocks away.
Just this week, Vancouver city councillor Christine Boyle said that city staff has approved a crosswalk for the intersection, but that it will take at least three years to be painted as it is now at the bottom of a list.
“I’m told there are other intersections above it on the list, and so it likely will see a crosswalk added in three to five years, based on current capital funding limits,” Boyle said in an email.
“I will keep advocating that we do it faster by increasing our capital investments in transportation safety so we can make more of these improvements each year.”
Staff looked at a variety of statistics including speeds and traffic volume to determine if the crosswalk was necessary.