New crosswalk coming for worrisome Charlottetown intersection

The City of Charlottetown is putting a full crosswalk at the intersection of Enman Crescent North and University Avenue, where a pedestrian was struck just over a week ago.

Coun. Terry Bernard said plans for the crosswalk were being made before that accident. Charlottetown police approached council in the summer to discuss the near misses at that intersection.

Charlottetown Rural High School students often cross the four-lanes of University Avenue to get to the mall.

"The pedestrian lights that are there now are on both sides of the outside lanes," Bernard said.

"When pedestrians are crossing, sometimes you will have the vehicle full stop on the outside lane, but if they're not careful sometimes that inside lane traffic just keeps on going. Whether they think the car is pulled over or they're just not paying attention, sometimes they've gone right through, and it's been pretty close when you have pedestrians walking in front of that first car and almost walking in front of the second."

Charlottetown police report pedestrian accidents near that intersection in 2015 and 2016.

Bernard said it's costing the city almost $34,000 to put in the overhead crosswalk boxes with flashing lights.

He expects they will be operating by mid-January.

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