One of the more crash-prone intersections on Keith Road will soon have a traffic light, although neighbours are wishing municipal staff would get it installed with as much speed and urgency as rush-hour drivers seem to have.
The City of North Vancouver and District of North Vancouver, which are divided along Keith Road, are collaborating for a new signal to be placed at Hendry Avenue.
Statistics from ICBC indicate there were 25 crashes there between 2011 and 2015, disproportionately more than most other corners along Keith between Brooksbank Avenue and Grand Boulevard. Incidentally, there have been three crashes at Hendry in the last three weeks.
The installation of the light is tentatively scheduled for 2018. It comes as ICBC is funding a safety study for the entire corridor between Sutherland Avenue and Shavington Street, likely bringing more changes with it.
“There is a corridor study going on as we speak, just to make sure we get the thing right,” said Steve Ono, the district’s manager of engineering services. “Probably falling out of that is going to be the exact intersection treatments at all the roads that intersect Keith Road and how best to deal with vehicle safety as well as pedestrian motor and bike safety.”
The announcement came as good news to Manjit Janjua, who lives near the intersection and has been lobbying both the city and district for two years. Janjua said crossing Keith is dangerous, especially for seniors and for students of nearby Brooksbank elementary and Sutherland secondary.
“The cars are coming so fast. When a pedestrian is standing there, they don’t stop,” she said. “I don’t know how many times I almost got hit.”
But Janjua said she’d like to see the new light installed even sooner.
“It's needed before someone gets killed,” she added. “This city and district should make this as a priority. Spending funds on things such as Green Necklace shouldn't be a priority. Yes, the Green Necklace is great but should come after safety.”
