Editor; Regarding the intersection of Robertson Crescent and 256 Street, all that is needed is to change it to a four-way stop. The only scary thing about the intersection is whether or not someone is going to run the stop sign on Roberton Crescent.
I live not far from the intersection and it isn’t any more dangerous than 20 other intersections in the Township. However, Robertson Crescent is a convenient route from the Strawberry Hills area to Aldergrove and drivers seem to take for granted traffic (or lack of) on 256 Street.
I have seen a driver approach the stop sign westbound on Robertson Crescent, almost stop and look north, start moving through the intersection and then look south. That is when he saw my truck.
By the time he stopped, his car was across the centre line of 256 Street. Fortunately, I had just enough room to swerve around the nose of his car, avoiding him and the ditch.
A flashing red light wouldn’t have stopped him from doing what he did. He knew there was a stop sign, but his bad driving habits just about ruined his day.
Another instance involved a young driver playing his own version of Russian Roulette. I was out walking near the intersection on 256 Street, when a driver approached eastbound on Robertson Crescent.
He also knew there was a stop sign because I heard the car shift down and start slowing, but approximately 100 feet from the intersection the car accelerated and crossed 256 Street doing about 60 km/h. Fortunately, no one was coming at that time.
Again, a red flashing light would not make a difference to that person’s disregard for traffic safety.
The stop signs on Robertson Crescent are highly visible. They are not obscured by any bushes or branches and the visibility from the stop lines both north and south is good.
Why people don’t see approaching traffic could be a combination of things. Vehicle colour, bush and undergrowth- lined ditches, and/or the elevation difference between 256 Street and Robertson Crescent could all be factors.
Adding a flashing red light is only safer if it is flashing red in all four directions. So why not save money and just add stop signs for northbound and southbound traffic, and make it a four-way stop intersection. At the very least, when someone runs a stop sign, the person coming from the side will be stopped or coming to a stop.
Mel Fast,
Langley
