Arianne Dielman’s petition for a safer crossing between a Ladner park has not gone unnoticed by Delta City council.
Last month, Arianne sent a letter along with the signatures of 30 local residents acquired through a door knocking campaign to Delta city council. The letter, complete with a drawing of her family crossing a street together, conveyed her desire for a safer crossing between the entrance to Lions Park and Central Ave.
“Lots of people cross there and it is a busy road and it is hard to see around the corner,” Arianne’s handwritten letter read.
Arianne told the Optimist in an interview on Thursday, Nov. 19 that she set her sights on this initiative after her brother Westley was almost struck by a vehicle while attempting to make the crossing.
"It made me feel scared and made me want to do the petition," she said. "I felt more and more that we needed a crosswalk."
Another letter which accompanied Arianne’s letter and petition to city council was written by her mother Carmelle. She wrote that as her daughter collected signatures, others recounted times when they narrowly avoided being hit while trying to cross the same road.
During council’s Nov. 23 meeting, a report noted a safety review for Central Ave was completed in 2013 and found that due to the curvature of Central Ave, a regular pedestrian crosswalk would not be the best solution.
Steven Lan, director of engineering for the City of Delta explained the petition and the heightened use of the park due to COVID-19 has caused the city to revisit the issue. Lan said the city’s engineering team has come up with what he believes is a unique solution.
The suggestions for a modified crosswalk, which will be forwarded on to the Transportation Technical Committee on Nov. 25, include a curb extension to allow pedestrians to be more visible, standard overhead flashing lights and an advanced flasher ahead of the Central Ave’s curve so drivers can slow down earlier.
The Transportation Technical Committee will then pass on the suggestions to city council. If approved, the cost associated with creating the crosswalk would be included in the annual budget for Delta's annual crosswalks and signal improvements program and construction could start in 2021.
