This Crosswalk can be found at the intersection of Huntley Drive and Harbour Drive. I call it the Town's "Invisible" crosswalk because each day people cross here and each day cars zoom past oblivious to it.
I go through this intersection many times a week and last week as I was stopped at the intersection I watched in horror as an RCMP cruiser sailed right through the crosswalk while somebody waited to cross. Of course, I can't totally fault drivers for missing the crosswalk. Eastbound traffic travelling at speed cannot really see it, or the sign indicating it's there until they are upon it. More to the point, eastbound traffic can't see pedestrians crossing at the walk until they are up on them.
It's a disaster waiting to happen.
With school back in session and with the courtesy bus service discontinued from the Clearwater subdivision there are bound to be some kids using that crosswalk. I shutter to think.
There are two issues that need to be addressed here. The placement of the crosswalk is one. Its location on the turn and in the dip in the road make its hard for drivers to see pedestrians and it's equally hard for pedestrians to see vehicles coming across the Shoal Harbour bridge. I count about four seconds between the time a car becomes visible and the time it crosses the crosswalk. It needs to be in a more visible area.The second issue is the speed of the traffic. It crosses the bridge at at least 50kph. Traffic needs to slow down and drivers also need warning of the crosswalk. This empty post once held a 40kph sign - it needs to have a new one. It also needs a Cross Walk sign to warn drivers in time. There's a quick and easy fix to address this issue. Why has it not been done?
Let's make that crosswalk visible before it's too late.
Paul, thats a good issue that really needs to be dealt with because not only this crosswalk but others as well because it was only last night by the one next to Blundons Funeral Home that i was comming upon and there happened to be someone crossing and with the lights of the vehicle comming towards me in the opposite direction had my vision obstructed of seeing the person. The only way i seen that there was someone crossing was the shade of their legs in the headlights of the other vehicle. There happened to be a street light there but not to cover off the crosswalk. I find that Clarenville Council is all there to do something right when something bad happens. They don't seem to take everything into consideration when or whatever they're dealing with. But I guess the council would be off the hook here and the blame would have to go onto the road maintenance engineering division. Just sayin.
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