Request to install pedestrian crosswalks in areas across Chatham-Kent have been put on hold.
At Monday night’s city council meeting, councillors heard a motion to install crosswalks in Chatham, Tilbury and Blenheim. However, council is currently under a lame duck position until the new council is sworn in, which means the budgetary decision is limited.
Since the price tag to install three pedestrians crosswalks is around $290,000, the final approval has been referred to budget deliberations in January.
“I’m happy to see that they agree that we need this,” said Councillor Mark Authier, who has advocated to install the crosswalk on Queen’s Line in front of Tilbury District High School. “I’m happy about that, I just hate to have to wait until the budget but I believe it will be a good thing.”
Authier collaborated with Tilbury Resident Martina Roach to bring the crosswalk motion before council. Roach’s 18-year-old nephew was killed last year after being struck by car in Leamington. She has since devoted much of her time to have a crosswalk installed in front of the busy high school in hopes that no student get hits. Together, Authier and Roach were able to get a petition with over 1,000 signatures in just two months which they gave to council Monday night.
“There's only a little over 4,000 people in Tilbury so I do believe with 1,000 signatures it makes a difference," said Authier.
The other proposed crosswalk locations are at Marlborough Street at Wellington Street and John Street West in Blenheim for safer access to the Youth Centre. The other request in Chatham is that the existing pedestrian signal on McNaughton Avenue West near Tecumseh Public School be relocated west of Craven Drive.
If the crosswalks are approved during budget deliberations, it should be installed by the start of next school year.