Concerns regarding the safety of drivers and pedestrians alike on Algonquin Avenue don’t seem to be ending anytime soon as three members of the community presented to city council Tuesday night.
Monique Peters, Barb Islam and Rebecca Seidler all made presentations in light of the speed members of council took in passing a bylaw for an all way stop at Cassells and Main Street.
“It’s no secret that Algonquin Ave is extremely dangerous,” Peters told councillors. “On 4 May 2016, two senior citizens were killed while crossing Algonquin in front of the medical building. On 10 Mar 2017, there were two accidents on Algonquin in less than an hour. One just past Front Street intersection going North the other right in front of Esso at Lansdowne heading south. Another presenter will be discussing that accident.”
Seidler, the presenter involved in the collision spoke to council of the challenges she’s faced since the incident, has been—and still—unable to return to work because of a post-concussion injury.
“I was involved in one of those accidents,” she explained to council. “I got rear-ended by a guy who was going way too fast down Algonquin and it left me in a really bad place. I was taken to the hospital, had whiplash and a concussion, and now a post-concussion injury. I’m still having problems…and I’m not the only person. I’m coming up here to say there are others with these issues. I’d like to go back to work. I’d like to have my life back.”
Peters, in her presentation, suggested that Algonquin change from the Highway 11/17 bypass going to the downtown core, creating a community safety zone with the speed reduced to 40 km/h as well as a set of lights at Elmwood that would also allow for pedestrian crossings.
And this wouldn’t be the first suggestion of a pedestrian crossing made to council. Last year, following the fatal collision involving an 80-year-old man and 74-year-old woman, a petition was created, garnering more than 2,000 signatures, calling for a crosswalk in that space.
In response to these presentations, Coun. George Maroosis called a motion for staff to report to council on possible options for Algonquin Avenue, noting the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has regulations on the matter due to the presence of the nearby highway.
“There were three compelling presentations and we’re all aware of what’s going on in that area,” Maroosis said. “We needed to hear those presentations and acknowledge the concerns of those ladies. If there are negotiations to be made with the MTO, we need to find out what we can or cannot do. I have no idea, I know they do have some control.”
“It came before us, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about it, I don’t sit in the particular committee that has jurisdiction of that but I was tired of hearing about it and not having any information on it—like some of our citizens. I’d like some information and we’re going to get it now.”
However, seconded by Coun. Tanya Vrebosch, chair of engineering and works, she has said before it was unlikely to happen, due to the MTO.
“City Staff will not recommend it and we suspect even if we did, MTO would not approve it,” she’s previously said.
Other council members, like Chris Mayne suggested to the presenters a better solution might be to increase accessibility to the west side of Algonquin by having more parking.
