The City of Port Alberni has installed more pedestrian-controlled lights at several crosswalks around the city in a bid to improve safety.
The new "rectangular rapid flashing beacons," or RRFBs, were installed in early May at Gertrude Street and Pemberton Road. Others have since been installed at Gertrude Street and Southgate Road, Third Avenue and Dunbar Street and Argyle Street and Ninth Avenue.
The lights are part of a broader plan to improve pedestrian safety around the city, says Jim MacDonald, director of infrastructure services with the city's engineering department.
"In the last 16 months we've installed 18 (pedestrian-activated beacons) at different intersections around the city. There are plans for another 10 to go in," MacDonald said.
"There was a push from council last year for the Redford corridor" after a pair of pedestrian fatalities. The city installed the crosswalk lights at "any crosswalk that didn't have a signalled intersection in place," he explained. Lights were also installed as part of the Quay to Quay Pathway, at Harbour Road and at Roger Street near the train tracks. Another was installed at Tsuma-as Elementary School on Compton Road.
Existing lights were also upgraded at 10th Avenue and China Creek Road by Quality Foods.
Last year city council designated $150,000 of its budget for improving pedestrian safety at intersections and crosswalks. "We wanted to maximize our impact with the budget we had," MacDonald explained. The cost per crosswalk was approximately $10,000.
The department received some grant money from ICBC for work that was completed in 2024, he added. "We're still working through this year at further sites." He said some of the budgeted money also went to improving signage in school zones.
The pedestrian-activated beacons "bring a lot more awareness to motorists." They are just one phase to the pedestrian safety plan, MacDonald explained.
Burde Street bump-outs
Another area of focus for the city is Burde Street between 10th Avenue and 16th Avenue. "It's been identified in our OCP (Official Community Plan) as a densified area," MacDonald said. "All of the work that's being done up there...is to promote safer environs for non-motorized traffic."
Bowerman Construction Ltd. finished the Burde Street watermain and storm drain separation project in 2024, but paving still needed to be done. That gave the city the opportunity to work on safety improvements in some areas, MacDonald said.
The bump-outs, or "bulbs" on the corners of some intersections, shorten the time people need to cross the road. They also work as a traffic calming measure, he added.
Multi-modal lanes—the new term for bike lanes—are also being installed to provide safer conditions for bicycles as well as people on scooters.
Development in the area, with the addition of Broadstreet Apartments, Timberline at North Park seniors' independent living building and new residential housing clusters, the number of people in the area has increased. "It's part of densification and also to promote safe, non-motorized travel within our city," MacDonald added.
More information on the Burde Street development is online at www.letsconnectpa.ca. There is a fact sheet that details the work and projected timelines as well. Cost for this project is not included in the fact sheet, however, MacDonald said it was budgeted separately from the crosswalk light project.
Dunbarred at 10th Avenue
The City of Port Alberni on May 14 installed cement barriers preventing traffic from turning left onto Dunbar Street from 10th Avenue. The barriers are a stop-gap solution until something more permanent can be installed.
The work came after two serious incidents in three weeks that saw a cyclist airlifted to hospital with serious injuries, and another pedestrian struck at the same place. A cyclist was killed in 2018 when a cube van attempted to make a turn at the intersection. There have been other incidents involving vehicles losing control and hitting houses at the same place.
The cost for these changes is separate from other crosswalk initiatives and shouldn't be too costly, MacDonald said. "These are a big help bringing awareness to motorists," he said, adding that pedestrians also need to be aware of their surroundings while crossing the road.
