I might as well admit it up front — I'm a pedestrian. Even though I own a four-wheeled metal conveyance propelled by driving pistons, I increasingly find myself drawn to relatively quiet, sometimes dark or seedy sidewalks where adrenaline courses through my veins and oxygen fills my lungs as I escape into fleeting moments where I imagine myself self-sufficient, even omnipotent, from using my own legs to get around.
Where I become concerned, however, is when the City of St. Albert consciously and deliberately compromises pedestrian safety for no good reason. A few weeks ago a woman was struck by an automobile while crossing at the corner of Perron and St. Anne streets. I witnessed the aftermath as she was taken away in an ambulance. It's easy to make simplistic value judgments in such situations. Pedestrians have the right of way. The driver is at fault. Case closed. But not all that happens in life can be explained simplistically.
I have no idea who the driver or pedestrian were on this occasion but I do walk through this intersection every day on my way to work and have witnessed close calls there before, between vehicles and pedestrians. It's a dangerous location because the walk light on the west side of St. Anne Street is at least twice as long as other walk lights in the city. So people show up in the intersection at unexpected times. Drivers waiting at a red light and watching pedestrians cross the street expect they will be able to proceed when their light turns green. Meanwhile the walk light remains on, for an inordinately long time and pedestrians occasionally step out in front of turning vehicles.
As a pedestrian, I frankly have little sympathy for motorists — they have their own addictions to deal with. But in this case, the unsafe condition could be rectified easily and at minimal cost. Traffic experts tell me the walk light could be shortened so it is only on for one cycle of the signals rather than two. Traffic would flow better and pedestrians would have neither an unnecessarily long time to cross the street nor an illusory expectation of safety while doing so. Common sense should prevail here and the duration of the walk light should be shortened to be similar to other walk lights in the city.
Unfortunately, common sense doesn't always apply in municipal governance. The engineers at city hall, while they admit it can easily be done, refuse to make this change to the traffic signals that would enhance safety at the intersection. To them, inane platitudes about "walkability" and circuitous, simplistic arguments are handy tools that allow them to remain comfortably behind their desks, their feet up in self-righteous splendour, contemplating their next pay raise. Regrettably, our elected representatives refuse to ensure that their city administrators act responsibly in this matter. Believe me, I've poked and prodded to the best of my abilities with no movement on the issue from any party at city hall.
I'm soft and fleshy and mortal and therefore have an aversion to being bumped and trodden upon by hard metal vehicles. So I am very wary when crossing Perron Street at St. Anne. Other pedestrians out there might also want to take care when crossing at this apparently perpetually dangerous intersection.
Dave Burkhart, St. Albert
