Pedestrian Crosswalk Signal On Tranquille Road and Southill Street

A recent death has opened my eyes to the dangerous intersection of Tranquille Road and Southill Street and the need for a pedestrian crosswalk signal.

On the evening of January 31st 2009, a young man was hit while using a crosswalk at Tranquille Road and Southill Street. He was pronounced dead at the Royal Inland hospital. Speed and alcohol were not involved in this accident. This intersection has a confusing turning lane, which caused the pedestrian to be obscured from through traffic by a turning vehicle. A vehicle going through the intersection hit the pedestrian while he was crossing.
 
There is heavy traffic flow along Tranquille Road because it is the quickest way to and from the airport. I myself have experienced one of the many “close calls” that happen at this intersection.

This area in Brocklehurst is a walking community since there is a high school, a elementary school and a Boy and Girls club just down Southill and a large shopping complex including; a grocery store, a pharmacy, a thrift store, a movie store, a gym, convience store, a bakery, a salon, a pizza shop and others. Also in the area are apartment buildings and retirement homes. These are all within walking distance of the crosswalk on Tranquille Road.

As concerned residents of Kamloops especially Brocklehurst, we should NOT WAIT until another member of our community is lying in the road dead from lack of pedestrian visibility. Now is the time to act to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again.