Region says lit crosswalk not warranted at Virgil’s Crossroads School

The amount of pedestrian traffic in the area isn’t high enough for Niagara Region to install a crosswalk near Crossroads School in Virgil — so the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake may do it on its own.

Region commissioner Ron Tripp told town council Monday that a pedestrian traffic study in the vicinity of the public school at 1350 Niagara Stone Rd. was done late last year. He said a minimum of 100 pedestrians per hour is required for a crosswalk to be installed and this location did not meet that standard.

Coun. Martin Mazza pointed out that there is an application for a medical centre to be built beside the school and he said that could increase pedestrian traffic.

“We’re always open to revisiting (the decision),” said Tripp.

Tripp also said that the municipality could request a crosswalk be installed on the regional road and pay for it from town coffers. He estimated that the capital cost would be $80,000 to $120,000.

Tripp said the municipalities of Grimsby and Port Colborne have chosen to pay for crosswalks on regional roads when the pedestrian traffic was lower than the threshold for the Region to install them.

Councillors also expressed concern about the speed of the traffic near the school and the flashing lights that are out of synch with daylight saving time for 40 km/h when students are arriving and leaving the school.

Tripp said the Region could work with Niagara Regional Police to monitor the traffic speed and that the timing of the flashing lights would be fixed right away.

Later in the meeting, council passed a motion by Mazza that staff investigate options and costs of an illuminated crosswalk across Niagara Stone Road close to the school. The report is to be completed before the end of the school year in June with the possibility of installation of a crosswalk before September if upheld.

Crossroads School opened in 2011 following the closure of Virgil and Colonel John Butler public schools.