OrilliaMatters welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to a letter regarding sidewalks in west Orillia, published March 7.
I do agree that the sidewalks in West Ridge are often icy, and many of us in our neighbourhood attempt to keep the sidewalks cleared for the benefit of our neighbours because it does take time to get all the sidewalks in Orillia cleared with the equipment and staff our taxes pay for.
I have lived in West Ridge for more than 20 years now, and it is the intersection of West Ridge Boulevard and Monarch Drive where I most agree with Martin Reeves. Far too often drivers fail to respect pedestrians, and the 13-second crossing signals do seem to be tight for people who have difficulty walking, even when they are waiting for the signal to cross.
Over the years I have written several letters to our councillors about this intersection because I have personally been intimidated by impatient drivers, or have witnessed other pedestrians who are brushed past by impatient drivers. On one occasion, I reported that one of my sons was knocked down in the middle of the road when a driver brushed past him. Fortunately, my son was only shaken and other drivers came to his assistance as the driver had fled the scene. It seems unfortunate that it takes a statistical injury or death before decision makers are able to free up the necessary funds to address such problems.
Two days ago, my wife and I witnessed a car driving through a red light that was closer to turning green than it had been red. It was fortunate that the east/west traffic had already crossed the road, and that no pedestrians were crossing the road.
I don’t think our council can do much more than to spend money on cameras at intersections and to increase the policing of the area. For years now, when I walk across that intersection, I walk briskly, and I have my phone in hand to record my crossing. I have found that when I am crossing and turn my phone towards an impatient driver, they tend to change their behaviour and respect the rules of the road. But no one should need to do that. I am hoping something can be done so that these close calls do not become a statistic of injury or death.
Randy Baker
Orillia
