Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

Blain safety issue raised

People who regularly walk on Blain Road have raised alarms about the potential for pedestrians to be hit due to a lack of white lines in a key spot.

Janet Raynor is a caregiver for seniors who regularly walks with her clients on the road where the Greenwoods and Braehaven residences are located. A white line used to clearly delineate the paved pedestrian area on the right side of the road going up Blain from Lower Ganges Road. It is now completely obliterated so that vehicles turning right onto Blain would have no idea that the right side of the pavement is for pedestrians. A “Pedestrian Pathway” road sign is located in the area, but without the painted lines it is not possible to accurately assess the situation.

Raynor has seen several near misses in recent months.

“This affects seniors and it is so dangerous,” she said. “There just needs to be something there.”

Kit Lewis, who is in her 90s and regularly walks in the area, said she has nearly been clipped in the pedestrian pathway as a car turned onto Blain.

However, unless a do-it-yourself solution is found, walkers will have to continue to use the area at their own risk. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure told the Driftwood that no painting will be done on Salt Spring until the spring.

“Line painting is done annually in the spring, as winter sanding, salting and plowing wear paint away and make lines less visible. The ministry will look to include this section in next season’s line-painting on Salt Spring Island.”  

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1 COMMENT

  1. Paint is a waste of time and materials with very low effectiveness. Install barriers now, don’t have to wait for spring. Do it now or get the local legal community to promise a lawsuit if anyone is injured between now and when this is taken care of. No excuse to hold off on a solution.

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