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Proposed Hillcrest Park crossover faces numerous challenges

Provincial regulations for crossovers have been released but hurdles remain in the city’s efforts to install crossovers at dangerous pedestrian crossings. Red River Coun.
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(Jon Thompson, tbnewswatch.com)

Provincial regulations for crossovers have been released but hurdles remain in the city’s efforts to install crossovers at dangerous pedestrian crossings.

Red River Coun. Brian McKinnon held an outdoor ward meeting at Hillcrest Park on Monday to update constituents who have been applying pressure over what they see as unsafe crossing conditions on High Street.

Ontario has recently provided municipalities with regulations for the Transportation Statute Law Amendment Act it passed in June 2015 and blueprints for crossovers are available. The province, however, has yet to release warrants, which tell cities where they can put each design.

“We have them (regulations) now and that’s a step forward,” McKinnon said.

“We couldn’t do things before because of the Highway Traffic Act. Now we can.”

Thunder Bay intends to install a pilot crossover in 2016 whose site is yet to be designated and has budgeted $20,000 for crossover public education.

Council has directed administration to designate priorities among 27 sites, including  Simpson Street, Arundel Street, Red River Road and crossing from Mariday Park across High Street to Hillcrest Park.

“We don’t know if it’s going to be on the Bay Street corner or halfway up the block. It won’t be on Beresford,” McKinnon said.

“I don’t think Bay Street or Beresford are good options,” added city engineering and operations director Kayla Dixon.

“At this point, we’re looking at more of a middle-of-the-block crossing. Beresford is too close to the light intersection and then there are sightline issues coming up the hill with Bay Street.”

City mobility coordinator Adam Krupper’s department is setting crossover priorities, which are expected to cost between $8,000 and $27,000 each.

He  designed the Bay Street Active Living Corridor with a vision of creating a non-motorized travel route all the way from Junot Avenue through Windsor Street to Bay Street, ending at Algoma Street. He said placing a crossover at the intersection of Bay and High streets was always in the cards.

“They need to be able to access Hillcrest Park. There’s also a lot of concerns about making that crossing safe and convenient and there’s a lot of concern about the speed of people driving.” Krupper said.

“The challenge here is there’s a desire for us to do Beresford, there’s a desire to cross at Bay, there’s traffic concerns at both locations and there’s also concerns over having the crossing in the middle for convenience sake -- so we have a lot to consider.”





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