Editor:
Re: Burnaby police hunt for driver who seriously injured a child and fled, NOW news
I was very upset to hear about the 13-year-old boy who was seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver on Humphries Street at 17th Avenue.
Humphries Street has a lot of pedestrians. Especially during the early morning and late afternoon, when it’s dark. They come from the houses and many come from Hillside Gardens at the foot of 18th Avenue. They are going to the bus stop, the community centre, shopping on Edmonds. There are a lot of pedestrians.
The problem is that Humphries for four blocks, from Edmonds to 16th Avenue, has only two street lamps. One at 17th and one at 18th. There are no sidewalks. The edges of the road are a patchwork of asphalt and puddles which causes pedestrians to walk on the road where cars drive. There are no painted lines.
The darkness is the biggest problem. The stretch between 18th and 19th is as dark as a forest. There is no street lamp at 19th. Along with rain, no sidewalks and people’s propensity for dressing entirely in black, it is a wonder that more people haven’t been hurt on Humphries Street.
A survey or count would show that Humphries has more than enough pedestrians to justify sidewalks and a few more street lamps. Thankfully, the 13-year-old boy will recover and hopefully the driver will come forward or be caught. But something needs to be done about Humphries Street. Maybe I should get off the couch and start a petition instead of hoping someone else does something. That would be a worthy New Years’ resolution.
Werner Meile, Burnaby
