A Richmond resident has made an urgent appeal for a crosswalk in his neighbourhood to be upgraded, before someone is seriously injured or killed.
Ryan Clare reached out to the Richmond News, the mayor and city council after a pedestrian was struck Friday evening by a vehicle at the crosswalk on Westminster Highway at Windsor Court in Hamilton.
Clare said he was saddened but not surprised by the accident, claiming that drivers regularly speed through the crosswalk, resulting in him his family having several close calls.
According to Richmond RCMP, the pedestrian - a 20-year old woman from Richmond – sustained serious, but non-life threatening injuries and was taken to hospital.
The driver of vehicle, a 52-year old woman from Richmond, remained on the scene. Alcohol, added police, is not believed to be a factor but the investigation is active and ongoing.
Numerous near misses at Richmond crosswalk
“People drive at 80 km/hr despite it being adjacent to a park, and several townhouse complexes with kids,” Clare told the News.
“I’ve had numerous near misses in the single year my family has lived here. It’s an insane intersection.”
In his written plea to city council, Clare pointed out that the crosswalk is poorly lit and has no flashing lights.
“This is no excuse for drivers to ignore this crosswalk, but an example of how poor the safety control is here,” he wrote.
“I’ve personally had numerous incidents where vehicles speed past me and my children (ages 3 and 7) waiting to cross, and even while crossing. It’s a complaint the city and RCMP have heard numerous times.”
Resident pleads for a pedestrian-controlled light
Clare has requested the city install a pedestrian-controlled three-way traffic light.
A spokesperson for the city told the News that it is aware of the crossing and is already in the design stage for a pedestrian-controlled traffic signal at an intersection just a few yards from the one in question.
That signal is anticipated to be complete in early fall 2022.
In the meantime, police are asking anyone with information on Friday’s incident to contact them at 604-278-1212 and quote file# 2022-6523.
