Drivers won’t be getting the green light anymore at the intersection of Commercial and Bastion streets.
The intersection will become a four-way stop during September and October pilot project, the City of Nanaimo advised in a press release this week.
The traffic signal will remain, but will be switched over to four-way red flash mode as of Sept. 1, and stop signs will be put up at each corner of the intersection.
Jamie Rose, the city’s manager or transportation, said the intersection sees “only moderate traffic volumes” but can see more than 200 pedestrians during afternoon peak hours.
“Under these conditions, research suggests a four-way stop may be more appealing for pedestrians than a traffic signal because each motorist approaching the intersection must stop and look around them,” Rose said. “This change should make walking downtown much more enjoyable.”
The press release noted that the intersection is scheduled for reconstruction in 2021, “and if the pilot is successful, the four-way stop may become permanent.”
According to ICBC data, there were no crashes at that intersection in 2019 and two crashes there in 2018.
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