STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS

FLORENCE, N.S. — A crosswalk on a busy road in Florence is caught up in a bureaucratic struggle with the provincial government that’s frustrating a pair of seniors trying to get a pedestrian-activated light and prevent a feared future tragedy.

“I find it hard to understand,” said Dave Reashor, who has lived on the road for 40 years and has grandchildren attending the K-8 school Dr. T.L. Sullivan, a former junior high.

“(The province is) saying it doesn’t warrant a light down there.”

In lieu of that, he and Purvis LeBlanc have sought a solar-powered sign that tells motorists what their speed is so they slow down, but Reasor said they’ve been told no, that could be a distraction.

“It’s a regular speedway there,” he said of the road which is off the Trans Canada Highway 105 and has attractions such as the A&K Lick-A-Chick drive-in, dairy bar and Tim Hortons, as well as the school. It's also an access road to a beach.

Read more Cape Breton disability advocate wants motorists to be more vigilant after she was hit in crosswalk CBRM councillor's crosswalk flag initiative pays respects to late Cape Breton librarian

Cape Breton disability advocate wants motorists to be more vigilant after she was hit in crosswalk

CBRM councillor's crosswalk flag initiative pays respects to late Cape Breton librarian

Reashor credits LeBlanc with being the original champion on the crosswalk light.

“I’m concerned about our kids and the traffic,” LeBlanc said.

“It's been 10 years or more. I think I’m fed up with it; they come up with every excuse.”

The two seniors are going door to door with a petition when the weather clears up. Northside-Westmount MLA Fred TIlley intends to present it to the legislature.

The rub on the situation is that the Cape Breton Regional Municipality has jurisdiction on the sidewalks and the province has jurisdiction for the road since amalgamation in the 1990s.

According to the area councillor, CBRM is in favour of putting in the pedestrian-activated crosswalk light but the provincial official in charge of such matters has turned it down even though it's not footing the bill. CBRM gets to pay.

“It’s the most backward situation I have ever seen,” said District 1 Coun. Gordon MacDonald, who noted 700-800 kids attend the school.

Ballpark, he said, it would only cost $5,000 to put the light in and that’s a small price to save a life in the future.

“We are not getting results from the province. That’s our big issue. It’s very difficult,” MacDonald said.

"Many many people have tried to get this light and it's to the point it's at a standstill."

The two seniors say Tilley has been pushing hard for them.

Tilley said they’ve been to see him every week on the issue.

There are crossing guards in the morning, lunch and after school, but Tilley noted that people regardless of the time of day have to cross the road because the sidewalk ends on one side and continues on the other. It’s an area where there are a lot of seniors and others out walking, as well as the kids.

He’s even written to Public Works Minister Kim Masland to try to sort out the tangle.

“I would ask you to please review this request and consider an exception to the policy so that we may keep the seniors and students safe on Park Road in Florence where vehicles are continually speeding,” he said in a letter last year.

Masland wrote back saying the crosswalk did not meet the guidelines for a pedestrian-actuated flashing beacon device and the current signage was deemed appropriate during the traffic official’s review.

“These policies are in place to maintain consistency across the province for the installation of such devices. Unfortunately, we will not be able to make exceptions to these policies in order to have these devices installed at this location,” he said.

The province has also nixed the idea of solar-powered speed indication sign up the road.

Tilley, who agrees it’s a dangerous crosswalk, went out and bought orange flags to help make it safer for people to cross.

“It’s just ludicrous,” he said of the jurisdictional situation.

“It’s a very busy road … We are trying to avoid something happening.”

"Many many people have tried to get this light and it's to the point it's at a standstill." - District 1 Coun. Gordon MacDonald

If the crosswalk were within one of the towns, the municipality could go ahead and install it but since it was part of the old county, the province has the final say.

Public Works spokesman Toby Koffman said in an email the department is aware of the requests that have been put forward, and how important this is to the community.

"Every request we receive is given careful consideration keeping road safety top of mind," he said.

Koffman said the department uses guidelines provided by the Transportation Association of Canada. A location must meet thresholds that includes the number of vehicles, speed and number of lanes at a particular location. Several staff members are involved in every decision process, he said.

"While we appreciate the community’s interest in a crosswalk, this location was evaluated in April 2022 using the guidelines provided by Transportation Association of Canada, and it was determined that the thresholds were not met. That evaluation was consistent with an independent traffic engineering evaluation done in 2020," he said.

"This area was also reviewed for a sign that shows drivers their speed, and it was determined a sign is not warranted."

Ensure local journalism stays in your community by purchasing a membership today.

The news and opinions you’ll love for only $20/year.

Start your Membership Now

Sharing voices. Creating stronger communities.