Calls for traffic lights at 'dangerous intersection' on Vancouver's steepest street
Residents living at the bottom of Vancouver’s steepest street say it’s becoming increasingly dangerous, and they’re calling on the city to install traffic lights before someone is seriously hurt.
Jelena Brcic has only lived at the corner of Oak Street and West 6th Avenue for 11 months, but said she’s already seen half a dozen crashes.
“(Drivers) ending up on the sidewalk, people hitting our building, people sliding through the intersection,” Brcic said. “I think it’s a really dangerous intersection not to be controlled by something more than a stop sign that gets treated as a yield sign.”
The most recent accident happened Monday, when a driver somehow mounted the curb and hit a concrete garden in front of Brcic’s building. No one was seriously injured.
Partho Ghosh lives across the street and said he always carries a bright yellow umbrella when walking on the 6th Avenue footpath with his daughter, so as to be seen by drivers.
“There’s multiple times where we’ve almost been hit,” Ghosh said. “It’s so much traffic all the time but people don’t treat it as a residential area.”
Residents believe the volume of traffic along West 6th Avenue has increased since construction of the Broadway subway project, with drivers avoiding West Broadway.
Ghosh said his strata president has previously written to the City of Vancouver requesting traffic lights be installed, but that was rejected.
“They said that because it’s a major artery, and a point for traffic, they don’t want to slow and dismiss the flow of 6th Avenue,” he said, adding that lights are already in place two blocks west on 6th. “I don't see why this (intersection) can’t have one too.”
In a statement, the City of Vancouver said traffic signals are not typically used as a tool to manage speed.
“As such, we are not planning to install a signal to address speed at this location,” the statement said, in part. “We are aware, however, that there are concerns about speed on (West 6th Avenue) and would recommend reaching out to the VPD for more information on their speed education and enforcement efforts in that area of the city.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian team told Trump's tariffs unavoidable right now, but solutions on the table in surprise Mar-a-Lago meeting
During a surprise dinner at Mar-a-Lago, representatives of the federal government were told U.S. tariffs from the incoming Donald Trump administration cannot be avoided in the immediate term, two government sources tell CTV News.
Pedestrian killed by Via Rail train near Kingston, Ont.
Regular rail traffic has resumed with severe delays.
Muskoka reacts to major snowfall, hundreds stuck on Highway 11
From road closures, power outages, weather declarations and nonstop shovelling, Muskoka residents were faced with nearly a metre of persistent snowfall on Saturday.
Saskatoon priest accused of sexual assault says he meant to encourage young girl with hug and kiss
A Saskatoon priest accused of sexual assault says he meant to encourage and reassure a young girl when he hugged and kissed during his testimony at Saskatoon Provincial Court Friday.
Beef prices reach record highs in Canada
The cost of beef continues to rise, reaching record highs on grocery store shelves ahead of the busiest time for many grocers and butchers before the holiday season.
Trump threatens 100% tariff on the BRIC bloc of nations if they act to undermine U.S. dollar
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Saturday threatened 100 per cent tariffs against a bloc of nine nations if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar.
Bob Bryar, drummer for rock band My Chemical Romance, dead at 44
Bob Bryar, former drummer for the band My Chemical Romance, has died. He was reportedly 44.
Toronto man accused of posing as surgeon, giving four women injections
A 29-year-old Toronto man has been charged after allegedly posing as a surgeon and providing cosmetic procedures on several women.
'Disappointing': Toronto speed camera cut down less than 24 hours after being reinstalled
A Toronto speed camera notorious for issuing tens of thousands of tickets to drivers has been cut down again less than 24 hours after it was reinstalled.