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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Bowen has traffic troubles

City has a part to play in making Bowen Road safer, says letter writer
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CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin Kane Summers, RCMP volunteer, keeps an eye out for distracted drivers during a Pedestrian Safety Day event at the Bowen Road and Dufferin Crescent intersection Nov. 9.

To the editor,

Re: Heads up, phones down for pedestrian safety, Nov. 13.

It is fantastic that the City Of Nanaimo had the RCMP and ICBC help them give pedestrians information and reflective zipper pulls at the Bowen Road and Dufferin Crescent intersection in an attempt to reduce the number of pedestrian and vehicle accidents. What an inventive and ingenious solution to an intersection that has a high number of accidents.

I wrote a letter to the traffic department at the city several weeks ago giving them tips on how to improve safety at that intersection. Why does the city not try ways to make that intersection safer overall?

It seems a no-brainer to change the way the traffic lights work at that intersection. Either have left turn lights installed for both vehicle and pedestrian safety, or have the lights turn green first from one direction on Dufferin Crescent then the other. Turning left there is a nightmare as the traffic coming in the opposite direction does not have a separate right turn lane from the straight through one. People trying to turn left therefore can’t see when cars are turning right or coming straight on. And the vehicles coming straight through tend to race through that intersection. It would also give pedestrians more safety as they won’t need to worry so much about being hit by cars trying to squeeze through to turn left with an onslaught of traffic. Coming out of the plaza to turn left onto Dufferein Crescent needs to be addressed as well. How about a 30 kilometres per hour or hidden intersection sign and the installation of a large mirror so drivers can at least see the cars coming from the direction of the hospital?

For some reason they also decided to reconfigure the lights from the intersection at East Wellington Road and Bowen Road. I hope they have given the children from Quarterway school accident prevention strategies. Out of great consideration they did make the left turn lane on East Wellington Road near the post office longer by changing the road lines to accommodate the large number of vehicles that get lined up there. With so much traffic trying to get through, how long will it be before there is a major accident and/or a child being killed in the crosswalk in an unsafe intersection?

Just who is it that needs educating about intersection safety? I think the city needs to look in the mirror.

Dinah Lestock-Kay, Nanaimo


The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press or the Nanaimo News Bulletin. If you have a different view, we encourage you to write to us or contribute to the discussion below.