I am writing to express my concern regarding the intersection at the corner of 240th Street and Hill Avenue in Maple Ridge. The current two-way pedestrian-controlled stoplight is inadequate and a four-way controlled light is urgently needed.

 

Although this intersection was surveyed in 2019, The City of Maple Ridge decided that an upgrade was not necessary. However, even with the recent opening of another elementary school in the area, Albion Elementary School is still considerably over capacity. Additionally, there is no crossing guard present at this location, which poses a serious safety risk to the many children who need to cross the road during peak times. This is particularly dangerous during rush hour, when vehicles waiting to turn left or right onto 240th Street have to wait for someone to press the pedestrian-controlled stoplight. Impatient drivers, especially those turning right, often try to push through the pedestrian traffic, creating a very dangerous situation.

We cannot wait for a pedestrian to be hit before taking action. Furthermore, the school is located just one block off of Lougheed highway, where drivers frequently ignore the 30 km/h speed limit and speed through the school zone during school hours.

Therefore, I urge you to support the upgrade of this intersection to a full four-way controlled intersection. The safety of our children and all road users should be our top priority, and it is unacceptable to continue risking lives due to inadequate infrastructure.

Many of the issues we are facing regarding pedestrian safety would be much improved with upgrades to this intersection with the following parameters: 
1) A full 4 way controlled intersection 
2) Vehicle sensors on Hill Avenue and the exit of the school parking lot that will activate the new lights when the traffic is getting backed up for turning left or right onto 240th street
3) A delay on the green light for vehicles turning left and right on 240th street until pedestrians have finished crossing 240th street in the cross walk
4) A no turning on a red light sign for both left and right turns in all directions. 
5) A pedestrian crossing light for pedestrians crossing Hill Avenue and The School parallel to 240th street. (Currently there is a crosswalk but no light telling the children when it is safe to cross) 
6) A crosswalk on the south side of Hill Avenue crossing 240th street. 
7) Removal of 2-3 street parking spots on 240th street on either side of the crosswalk to increase visibility for vehicles attempting to turn left or right onto 240th street. 
8) No parking signs on Hill Avenue from the alley down to the stop sign at 240th street to increase visibility of students approaching the crosswalk 
9) A crossing guard

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Christina Holland