An online petition has been launched by residents concerned with the recent changes made to the Murray Street and Reaume Avenue intersection in Wallaceburg.
Adrienne Barbosa created the petition on Change.org, and over 100 online signatures were gathered in the first couple of hours of it being posted.
Barbosa says she is calling for full traffic lights to be installed at the intersection, as opposed to the pedestrian crossover, which was first turned on last week.
“Why are we risking our children’s lives for efficiency on traffic control? The community of Wallaceburg and Chatham-Kent need to protect our children,” Barbosa said in the petition.
The petition can be seen, here.
On top of the petition, a group of Wallaceburg residents launched a protest on Tuesday morning at the location.
Krystal Gyuricza, who helped organize the demonstration, told the Sydenham Current something needs to be done.
“We need to get either a brighter light or we need our four way stop back, because people are still stopping and people are still travelling at a high rate of speed to go through here,” Gyuricza said.
“From Base Line to Margaret Ave., there is no reason for them to stop. We need something because there is a school right there. Like I said, we have already had four cars go through the light while it was flashing because you can’t see it during the day.”
Gyuricza and handful of other residents were at the location on Wednesday as well.
Wallaceburg Coun. Carmen McGregor said on social media that her and North Kent Coun. Joe Faas originally fought to keep the stop signs and crossing guards at the location in Wallaceburg, along with a spot in Dresden.
“We lost the vote,” McGregor wrote.
In order to revisit the motion, McGregor said she would need a two thirds approval by council to proceed, if the mayor grants her permission to bring it up again.
She said her next option is to wait until one year passes from the last attempt to bring it forward.
“I know that this is not what everyone wants to hear and certainly not what Coun. Wesley and I want,” McGregor wrote.
“I will regardless (talk) to administration once again.”
Mark Ceppi, engineering technologist for the Municipality, said municipal staff visited the intersection and conducted traffic counts last spring.
“The result was that the pedestrian crossover was warranted for this intersection but the all way stop was not,” Ceppi told the Sydenham Current.
“We can’t run both, so the decision was made to install the pedestrian crossover and remove the all way stop.”
The Chatham-Kent Police Service are keeping a close eye on the intersection as well.
Members of the Traffic and Marine Services Unit monitored the intersection on Tuesday and will continue to do so.
Police officials say they want to advise the community that this location no longer is a 4-way stop.
“Drivers and pedestrians, please be aware that this is no longer a four-way stop intersection,” police officials said.
“There are no stop signs on Murray Street for the vehicles travelling in a North or South direction. There are still stop signs for the vehicles travelling East and West on Reaume Avenue.”
All yous need to do is take the trafic lights from da Gordian school and bring them drown to the 4 way so the kids feel safe. No one is using them anymore.
Forget the traffic light…….get AL the crossing guard back with whats there now. Thanks to those that paid his wages till the end of the last school year. Just yesterday I avoided a mishap by darting across on reaume while the lights were flashing and someone was crossing the street. There was a big ass pickup truck that was not slowing down as it was approaching from the south, until I pulled out! PS in Florida and some other states I’m sure, speed limit in school zones is 15mph during times when students are going to or from school.
i agree come back with the crossing guards that way if there is accident they can record with there iphone to get the true story what happen there and at the same time teach the the kids respect responsibility and to help there other students come and go to the school save no incidents would have to be report unless some screws up