A South Burnaby resident is trying to bring attention to a dangerous crosswalk in hopes the city will make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Jim Wu lives near the intersection of Nelson and Imperial, where a pedestrian crosswalk runs parallel to the SkyTrain on the south side. That crosswalk has been the scene of about eight car accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists this past summer, according to Wu.
“For other cyclists or pedestrians who may not be so familiar with this location, it’s a real deathtrap, to put it in not-so-kind words,” he said. “They assume, ‘It’s a crosswalk, I can legally cross without any dangers or hazards,’ but the drivers, they don’t pay attention at all. They can’t see the signs.”
According to Wu, the signs suspended above the road are blocked by the SkyTrain route when heading south, and the street-level signs are sometimes hidden in the shadows of the track. He also said speeding is an issue along Nelson, and with cars parked along the street, he says southbound drivers may be more focused on merging than on people crossing in front of them.
“It just creates a whole bunch of manoeuvres that take away from their view, and before they know it, someone tries to cross the road and they hit someone,” he said.
Wu, who has lived in the area since 1996, used to take that crosswalk frequently to and from Burnaby South Secondary.
“All through high school, it was fine,” he said. “I think it’s probably just within the last five years – there’s a lot more traffic now.
“I try to avoid it nowadays and use the traffic light.”
Wu said he would like to see a signal installed at the crosswalk with flashing lights to increase visibility along the path.
Coun. Anne Kang, who is the vice-chair of the city’s traffic safety committee, said this isn’t the first crosswalk near a SkyTrain station that has been problematic. While she hadn’t heard concerns from residents about the Nelson crosswalk, she likened the situation to the crosswalk at Royal Oak and Beresford Street, which had similar issues in the past.
“It’s a special case where not just enlarging a sign would work – there’s more to it than that,” she said, noting the city addresses such issues on a case-by-case basis.
“The city’s trying its best to upgrade our road system and traffic safety system, but in the meantime, we need lots of feedback and support from the citizens, and patience as well.”
Kang said the best way for residents to highlight pedestrian safety concerns is to write to the city clerk, who could then forward them to the traffic safety committee. She also urged all road users to be mindful of each other to prevent further accidents.
“I think it’s everyone’s job to make sure that they’re safe, whether it’s to observe how the road is maintained or can be upgraded, or pedestrians making sure they’re not distracted,” she said. “It’s very important for cyclists to abide by the street rules because we’re seeing more cyclists and pedestrians and traffic because we are a growing city.”
