To the Editor:
The construction of the Pine Street-Northwest Boulevard intersection is drawing near. It’s going to be such an improvement. The cost published in the Advance was $5 million dollars.
I attended the open house at the town hall to look at the plans and ask any questions or comments. All the people involved in planning and engineering the intersection were present. My question was, “Why the delta islands?” These are the triangle islands in the intersection that pedestrians have to cross the turning lane, without a walk light, to get to. The only answer I got was they are a place of refuge for pedestrians.
My point was that the intersection would be safer for pedestrians without these islands. Instead, pedestrians could cross the entire street with a walk light, like the vast majority of crosswalks. No one in the room disagreed that this would be safer. I asked if the islands were expensive to construct and the answer was yes, very. So if we could build the intersection safer, and at the same time cost less, why wouldn’t we do it?
I believe, for the most part, our town and provincial employees are conscious of the way they spend our tax dollars. Our taxes are high and always increasing. Here is an opportunity to save some tax dollars, and we need to do that any time we have an opportunity to. Make the intersection safer, and at the same time cost less — it’s a no-brainer. Eliminate the delta islands.
Don Lukasiewich
Wynndel