THUNDER BAY - St. Patrick High School students and other pedestrians crossing the pavement at the intersection of Walsh and Selkirk Streets can now do so in greater safety.
One day before the new school year begins, the City of Thunder Bay on Tuesday activated the second of three planned crossovers where pedestrians can activate overhead flashing beacons to alert approaching motorists.
Rick Harms, project engineer with the city, said the location was chosen after "We did some traffic counts. This was one of the candidates recommended. It includes a two-lane vehicle road, bike lanes, and there were sufficient pedestrian counts with students" to make it a good location.
The city previously installed a similar system on Algoma Street at Cornwall Avenue.
Harms said the third crossing, at Simpson and Ogden Streets, should be in operation by Thanksgiving.
Each solar-powered system costs about $75,000 to install, but that's still cheaper than establishing a signalized intersection.
Harms noted that since the signals only activate on demand, it means drivers and cyclists aren't waiting at a red light unnecessarily.
A crossover and a crosswalk are not the same thing. Whereas a crosswalk is found at intersections that are often controlled by stop signs or light sets, a crossover can be located at non-intersection locations.
Members of the public who want to suggest other locations for crossovers with beacons can visit crossoverready.com.
