I almost killed someone on Sunday.
I’m still shaking and probably so is the kid who ran across the road at the Townsend Road intersection. I had to slam on my brakes to avoid the young man who was running and came into my view very suddenly.
This crosswalk needs to be removed for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it is dangerous and anyone using it takes their life in their hands. The vehicles waiting to turn left into the Village Food mall effectively camouflage anyone trying to use the crosswalk. Drivers cannot tell if they are stopped waiting to turn or stopped for a pedestrian. It happens all the time and it is (heaven forbid) a serious accident waiting to happen.
Now the district is planning a right in, right out entrance on Townsend which is a good idea but a crosswalk in the vicinity is not. It does not alleviate the danger of crossing Sooke Road at that point. We do not need a crosswalk there, it is only about a 100 feet from the one at the bus stop and about a 100 feet from the corner of Otter Point Road and Sooke Road. Use some common sense before someone gets killed.
It also frightens me that the crosswalk is not equipped with flashing lights. In the dark days of winter, people are almost impossible to see and we owe them their life if they have to cross the road. Let’s think this through before work starts on that particular intersection. Cough up some cash for a flashing light and we would be doing some good for pedestrians as well as drivers.
I’m pretty confident that I am not the only person who has had a close call at that crosswalk. Get on it.