How long does it take to cross a road?

Longer than the signalized crosswalk at Fern Road and Memorial Avenue, according to some.

B次元官网网址淭his came up during the campaign, of some seniors saying, B次元官网网址業 donB次元官网网址檛 have enough time to cross,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Coun. Robert Filmer at the councilB次元官网网址檚 Dec. 17 meeting.

B次元官网网址淒uringB次元官网网址� the two weeks of Remembrance, I volunteered with the Legion to do a poppy drive in front of Pharmasave and I stood there and there is not enough time for some of our seniors to get across,B次元官网网址� said Filmer.

To address that, he made a motion that B次元官网网址渃ouncil direct staff to look into options and implications for increasing the traffic light signalized pedestrian crossing times at Fern Road and Memorial (Avenue).B次元官网网址�

He said, from counting the crosswalk time, the signal gives about 13 seconds to cross.

Coun. Teunis Westbroek was the first councillor to weigh in, saying that heB次元官网网址檚 not opposed to looking into the timing, but that B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檝e tried this several times, and what IB次元官网网址檝e seen is if you start walking when the light changes, then itB次元官网网址檚 pretty well enough, but if you start walking after itB次元官网网址檚 already clicking away, then you donB次元官网网址檛 have enough time for some people.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 think weB次元官网网址檙e stretching the limit (of the crossing time),B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 think weB次元官网网址檝e got the longest, maybe ask our engineer, I think weB次元官网网址檝e got the longest time for a pedestrian to cross there than anywhere else.B次元官网网址�

The townB次元官网网址檚 engineer said that he would have to check into the times, and preferred not to weigh in until then.

Filmer, however, contested WestbroekB次元官网网址檚 assertion. B次元官网网址淥n that point of timing, I did go to the city of Parksville to time some of theirs, and some of theirs range from 18 to 23 seconds,B次元官网网址� Filmer said.

B次元官网网址淭here is lots of time for them to cross. IB次元官网网址檓 not saying that we need 23 seconds because itB次元官网网址檚 already hard enough to drive down Memorial Avenue, but we need a little more than 13 seconds.B次元官网网址�

Coun. Scott Harrison commented in support of FilmerB次元官网网址檚 motion.

B次元官网网址淔eeling that you have to rush across the road as hard as you can, when youB次元官网网址檙e dealing with a walker, maybe itB次元官网网址檚 raining or maybe thereB次元官网网址檚 snow on the ground, I donB次元官网网址檛 think itB次元官网网址檚 a huge imposition of another three or four seconds of our day, and it can make a big difference for some citizens with limited mobility.B次元官网网址�

The motion was carried unanimously.