Centretown residents are calling for more driver and pedestrian awareness two weeks after a driver struck a 24-year-old man at the busy intersection of Bank Street and Laurier Avenue.
Stephane Cousineau, 24, was taken to hospital with chest and abdominal injuries after the Oct. 30 incident. Police later charged Michael Chettleburg, 73, with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm, and assault with a weapon.
The intersection has been deemed one of the most difficult to navigate in Ottawa because of segregated bikes lanes on Laurier, its restrictions against turning right on red lights, and the abundance of pedestrian traffic due to its key location among the stores, restaurants and office buildings of downtown Ottawa.
But Christine Leadman, executive director of the Bank Street BIA, says the incident is not reflective of the work that has already been done to improve the intersection.
“If you come to the intersection you will see the crossings have different treatments on the sidewalks and that the curbs have been extended, making it easier for people to cross quicker.”
Leadman says that the intersection can be challenging to navigate due of the volume of traffic.
“You have pedestrians and cyclists all converging on that one street and there are a lot of things that are going on,” she says. “The city’s role here should be in public awareness about these intersections that have these cycle path routes but also the fact that there are pedestrians that are crossing.”
The segregated bike lanes on Laurier Avenue have been in place since July 2011, when they were implemented under a two-year pilot project.
Rob Dekker, co-chair of the planning committee for the Centretown Citizens Community Association, says there is still confusion among drivers about rules governing the intersection of the bike lane and roadway.
“Even after two years I think there is still some getting use to as which way the traffic is going,” he says. “It does make it busier than normal intersections, which will add to the level of danger.”
Some residents have said that because segregated bike lanes prevent right turns on red lights, more drivers are impatient with pedestrians crossing the street.
The City of Ottawa’s website on the project says that turning right on red lights would conflict with the left-turn bike boxes, which is an extension of the bike lane that allows left turning cyclists to move in front of vehicles stopped at a red light.
Dekker says he agrees with the city’s ruling on the intersection. “I don’t want to see what would happen if we take that away and we allow right hand turns on a red light. Then all of a sudden we might be causing further incidents which could cause people harm.”
Catherine Gaudreau, communications co-ordinator for the Canada Safety Council, says pedestrians themselves need to be aware of the potential incidents that could occur.
“It’s very important for motorists to be mindful if there are pedestrians at crossings to be watching for pedestrians. But also pedestrians have the responsibility of ensuring their own safety,” she says.
Transport Canada’s website says that 16 per cent of all fatalities on Canadian roads in 2010 were that of cyclists and pedestrians. In that same year, 17 per cent of all serious injuries on Canadian roadways were that of pedestrians and cyclists.
Ottawa Police say the investigation regarding last month’s incident is still ongoing.
The segregated bike lanes, however, are not going away. City council voted in July to maintain the lanes on Laurier Avenue after what it deemed a successful pilot project.