Time to fix problem intersections

With the passing of three years and more since the present council has been in office, and with 2018 being an election year, I feel that it is high time to voice my opinion on what has and hasn’t been accomplished with this current council.

I would like to say for the most part until lately a lot of positive things have been achieved and I think this council group has worked well together on a lot of issues that have resulted in productive outcomes.

One item that is now long standing, that I don’t think has been dealt with, is a crosswalk or controlled intersection at 22nd and South Nicholson, the location where two joggers were run over and killed a couple of years ago.

I know there has been discussion regarding making Tyner Boulevard four lanes. It can’t be emphasized enough as it is a truck route and having used it this past summer every day for two months, it is extremely busy and another major problem coupled to it is the light at Ospika and Tyner, making it way too fast for a truck especially when loaded. You can be within 50 feet of the light and by the time you get to it, it has changed to a full red. I know there have been crashes there in the past, but that has not brought about any change in that light.

The final concern with that intersection is when you are heading up the hill in the right lane, the straight through lane conflicts with the merge lane and there is plainly no room. When you are in the straight through lane heading up hill, the less than professional driving traffic tries to fly by you in the short merge lane cutting you off only to make a left turn directly ahead and turn in to the new subdivision on the left.

I hope somebody doesn’t have to die before something is done about this issue. Stan Wheeldon Prince George ignores the other part of the equation that could reduce ICBC claims. The other half is maintenance of vehicles involved in collisions.

Some four decades ago I lived in Victoria. At that time all local automobiles required annual inspections at a government installation. They checked braking, wheels, tire wear, steering, all lights and windshield. Headlights were checked for aim so others were not blinded. Any vehicle failing any part of this check had to be repaired and rechecked.

Then our provincial government changed and mandatory inspections were abolished. Since then one can register and insure almost anything that runs under its own power. Every day I see several cars and trucks on our roads showing only one headlight or defective brake lights.

If an owner cannot correct such an obvious defect, does he/she maintain the brakes? Does the owner have proper tires? Is the windshield spiderwebbed? Will its headlight(s) blind me at night?

Inspect the cars and train the drivers and the ICBC deficit will heal itself. James Loughery Prince George