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Parents cross over painting job on 6 Ave. crosswalks

Crosswalks, not painted since September, are a safety concern for two parents
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Two parents have identified the crosswalks along Sixth Avenue, which remain without white lines painted across the road marking the crosswalk, as a safety hazard for their children. The district said they cannot paint until temperatures reach 10 degrees Celsius. Emelie Peacock photo

Tara Ratcliffe doesn’t allow her daughter to cross the street and walk the few hundred metres to school on her own because of paint – painted crosswalks, to be more precise.

As the crosswalk on Sixth Avenue from Ratcliffe’s home to Coquihalla Elementary School is not painted, Ratcliffe fears for the safety of her Grade 3 daughter and other students on their way to school.

“She’s in Grade 3 and she should be able to walk herself to school,” she said. “It’s a children’s school zone; there have to be marked crosswalks. There are people that are having problems with their children almost getting hit.”

In addition to drivers not seeing the crosswalks, Ratcliffe said there is a problem of cars parking at, or close to, the crosswalks and obstructing the view of other drivers.

Ratcliffe is not the only parent worried about the crosswalks, Hannah Utz said her daughter was nearly run over at one of the crosswalks by a driver who was texting. Her daughter, in Grade 4, walks to school and is extra cautious when crossing the road. Still, she sees many cars driving by and many drivers not paying attention.

“My daughter’s not the only one that almost got hit at the crosswalk. It’s scary. It needs to be done. I’m surprised they didn’t do it right after the roads were done because it’s a school area,” she said.

There are four crosswalks along Sixth Avenue which do not have white paint: the crossings at Thacker Avenue, Rupert Street, Stuart Street and Park Street.

The lack of white paint only affects Coquihalla school. Crossings near Hope Secondary School and Silver Creek Elementary are faded but white paint is still visible.

Ratcliffe said she has tried to get the district to paint white lines on the crosswalks along Sixth Avenue since the end of September 2017, after paving on the street hid the previous paint job.

She said she has gotten nowhere after at least four calls to the district.

“I have been complaining to the district since September…because I see what goes on in the crosswalks every single day,” said Ratcliffe, who lives at one of the four crosswalks in question. “The district is well aware of this crosswalk issue but doesn’t care.”

Dale Courtice, director of finance at the District of Hope, said the district has requested first-out-of-the-gate service from a contractor, to paint the lines once the weather warms to at least 10 degrees Celsius. In the interim, he said the district will be placing temporary markings at the crosswalk.

The cold weather was the reason the lines were not painted in the fall, he added. A paving job finished up in early December.

“The centre line and the stop bars were painted in the vicinity of the school as a matter of priority,” Courtice said.

“The crosswalk markings, that would be a thermal plastic product that requires a dry surface with a minimum temperature of 10 degrees and rising. Obviously we haven’t had the adequate temperature or window of weather that’s conducive to be able to do this kind of application.”

Ratcliffe’s complaint is not only about the crosswalks not being painted, but also about her treatment by the district. She said she was first promised the painting would get done, then told it was too cold to do it. She was then told temporary tape would be put on the crosswalks, that didn’t happen either. The latest call to the district, Ratcliffe said she was told the district would call the paving company and see what could be done.

“It’s extremely frustrating that there are so many options they could have taken around the school and just don’t,” Ratcliffe said, adding she suggested the district put up additional signage or cones warning drivers of the crosswalks. She said she was told by a district employee these would just be stolen.

Doug Templeton, operations supervisor at school district 78, said Ratcliffe’s complaint is the only one he has heard. He said he was not aware of any accidents or incidents at the crosswalks on Sixth Avenue.

He contacted the city after hearing of the complaint. “The city has a plan in place and I’m expecting that they will move forward on that plan,” Templeton said, adding he was satisfied by the district’s response.

Utz said painting crosswalks is important, but drivers also need to be cautious when getting behind the wheel.

“I just wish people would stop being in a hurry and pay attention to their surroundings, because it only takes a split second and you’ve taken somebody’s life without even realizing it,” she said.

“Your phone is not more important than somebody’s life.”


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emelie.peacock@hopestandard.com

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