By Mark Squibb/June 9, 2022
The Town of Bay Bulls will be adding crosswalk lighting to help pedestrians safely cross a busy stretch of provincial road.
At its May 11 meeting, council made a motion to obtain quotes for the work. The Town received three bids, and councillor Shannon O’Driscoll made a motion during this week’s meeting that council contract Construction Signs Ltd., to supply and install the lights at a cost of 19,550 plus HST.
“I think this is a very dangerous intersection, and I really think the town needs some type of signage here,” said O’Driscoll.
She is not the only one to think so — the intersection has been a topic of conversation in the council chamber for years,
“A few years back, the crosswalk lights that had been there for some time… stopped functioning,” said Town Manager Jennifer Aspell. “We bought new battery packs but quickly learned that the equipment was obsolete. Various options were looked at at that time in consultation with the Department of Transportation and Works.”
The problem with the particular section of road, said Aspell, includes a heavy volume of foot traffic (including a number of young children), a blind turn, and high speeds.
“The posted speed limit is 50, but people rarely travel that,” said Aspell. “We have collected some data from one of our speed signs that said the average speed on that road was in excess of 70 kilometres an hour.
“The system that you’ve just approved will include two crosswalk lights, and they will both flash when activated, and then one each side, as you approach from St. John’s and as you approach from the Witless Bay area,” Aspell added. “Prior to the crosswalk there will be warning lights that will also flash when activated. So, if a pedestrian presses this button at the crosswalk, then the warning lights will start to flash to warn motorists that the crosswalk has been activated. And we’re hoping that creates an extra level of safety.”
In some ways, councils’ hands have been tied over how much they could do, as the road is the responsibility of the province.
Still, council felt that something had to be done.
“I think we have a responsibility to the pedestrians who cross there,” said Mayor Neil O’Brien. “We know it’s a high traffic area, we know people drive fast there, so I think it’s a worthwhile cause.”
Deputy Mayor Jason O’ Brien warned that even with the new system in place, folks should still be careful when crossing the road.
“This is certainly about the limits of what we can do as a council,” said O’Brien. “But you’re still probably going to have to make eye contact (with drivers) and not trust to the lights. It’s still a dangerous intersection, and there is the blind turn, so this is only an added measure, but its not a safeguard.”
The motion passed unanimously.
