The Editor,
Re. "Girl, 15, struck and killed" (The Tri-City News, Sept. 13).
My heart goes out to her family and friends of the girl who was killed so tragically and unnecessarily just down my road.
This intersection is on my walking and driving routes to downtown Port Coquitlam and the morning after the accident I was walking. Two camera crews were there and one was still there later, ready to film the afternoon mayhem. As I crossed with the walk signal, a woman turning left might have got me because she simply was not looking; I don't think she saw me at all. I was looking and stopped. The Global TV camera operator saw this and commented on it to me.
I've nearly been hit three times crossing at that intersection and I know others who have experienced the same thing. Now this, on a sunny afternoon.
As a driver, I know it's hard to see pedestrians in some crosswalks, especially at night and in the rain. At this intersection, the lighting is inadequate and the angles at which the roads intersect along with differing inclines and road widths make the situation worse. Drivers form illegal curb lanes if they are not turning left, another difficulty for pedestrians.
We can't make drivers obey the rules or even look where they are going, so we have to make intersections as safe as they can be.
Perhaps, with two schools nearby and narrow road widths, traffic engineers might consider safety improvements such as banning right turns on red lights. After the sewer work on this section of Pitt River Road is complete, I hope to see others such as a resurfaced road, new sidewalks wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and maybe even better street lighting, which may include this intersection. What a contrast with the new street lights around Pitt River middle school.
There are two large schools nearby and my kids attended both. They always walked, but there is so much traffic on Pitt River Road now, I would be worried.
I hope some good comes out of this tragic event. The dark and rain are coming, along with black clothing and black umbrellas. Here's hoping.
Brian Hubbard, Port Coquitlam
