Editor:
As all moms who are currently on mat leave, I love taking my little one out for a walk. Not only does it help my baby sleep, but it’s great to get out of the house and enjoy the beautiful island that we live on.
Unfortunately, for me to go into town, I need to cross the highway from Chemainus Road at the Davis Road intersection near Coronation Mall.
Whenever I cross at this intersection, I am always overly caution because highway vehicles are moving at 90 km/hr, the left turning light is at the same time as the pedestrian light (which is very short), and the pedestrian crossing in the merge lane adjacent to the mall has a blindspot.
I am writing to the editor because the other day while crossing, a driver turning left from Davis Road onto the highway almost hit my little one and me.
Now, I cross with a neon safety jacket draped over my stroller, but this intersection is unsafe.
I don’t think being forced to avoid this intersection as a pedestrian is the reasonable solution because if it’s not me, it’s someone else, especially with the Cowichan Valley Trail (part of the TransCanada Trail) connecting through that intersection.
The answer is to have a 15- to 20-second head start for pedestrians where cars on all sides wait. The answer is to put 70 km/hr speed signs on the highway around both sides of this intersection as the other Ladysmith highway crossings do.
And the answer is to move the pedestrian crossing in the merge lane on the Coronation Mall side so there are no blind spots.
Katie and Moses Heffring
Ladysmith