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(JESSICA WALLACE / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS - Though there are more than 110 signatures of support for a full traffic signal at Mayfair Street and Tranquille Road staff still believe the current system is safer.

In a petition submitted to council this week residents, volunteers and staff at the RiverBend Seniors Community on Mayfair Street are asking for advanced left turn signals and more time for pedestrians, especially those with wheelchairs, scooters and canes, to cross.

They point to motorists not giving seniors attempting to cross ‘consideration’ and with at least another 100 people set to move into the Mayfair over the next months they want to see changes now, ‘before a tragedy occurs’.

Coun. Nelly Dever, who has been an advocate making the Tranquille corridor safer and more visually appealing, says she would definitely like to see the amount of time given to cross another look but tends to side with staff on the type of intersection that is needed.

“What we have is recommended by B.C. standards in high senior areas because it’s considered safer,” she notes. “Obviously it’s efficient for me, but I’m not a senior with a walker. I want staff to look at… should we be looking at increasing the timer?”

The newer features of the intersection includes full sidewalks on three sides, pedestrian controlled traffic lights and both audible signals and a countdown timer at the crossings.

The countdown timer shows 12 seconds but also has seven seconds before the timer starts and another four seconds after it ends before the light changes, for a total of 23 seconds of crossing time. Development Director Marvin Kwiatkowski notes this times is the slowest recommended for a crossing.

Staff will be meeting with residents to review the intersection and will bring forward recommendations, if needed.

“It is becoming a growing issue,” Kwiatkowski says. “This will be a good one to go out there (for staff.) It is an issue we’ll look at further.”

The city has also been asked to look at other intersections where seniors feel they are not given the proper time or space to cross, many in the North Shore and Brocklehurst areas. One particularly contentious spot was Overlander Drive in Westsyde where a mid-block crossing, requested as a way to make it easier on residents of the Hamlets for getting across to Coopers, was denied last summer.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

News from © iNFOnews, 2014