Winnipeg neighbourhood seeks traffic sign
Speeding cars fly over median and crash into yards
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 | 11:37 AM CT
CBC News
A car became airborne after striking a curb, landing on a car parked in a home's driveway. (CBC)The residents of a Winnipeg neighbourhood are looking for a sign — one they hope will cut down on crashes on their street.
People who live near the intersection of St. Matthews Avenue and King Edward Street in the city's West End want the city to install a "dead end" sign.
A median cuts through the intersection, blocking King Edward traffic from crossing St. Matthews at that site. However, many cars speed down the long, straight street and when they get to the intersection they blow through the stop sign and either ignore, or don't notice the right-turn-only sign.
The city put a concrete curb on the boulevard a few years ago but that only made things worse, resident Doug Dauphinais says.
The front deck of the home was badly damaged in the accident. (CBC)Instead of cars bumping up onto the median as they had, the curb acts as a launch pad, Dauphinais said: "Now the cars don't just come straight over, they fly over."
So far, there have been no injuries, but the residents are worried that will happen if nothing is done.
Dauphinais, who lives near the corner, said a car came up over the curb last month, crossed the boulevard and landed in his neighbour's yard.
"The car flew. It didn't even come in the grass area or anything — it hit her verandah and then came down and flipped on top of her car," Dauphinais said.
The city has trimmed trees in the area to make the signs and intersection more visible, but Dauphinais and his neighbours want a big yellow checkerboard sign installed — one that lights up at night and can be seen from a block away.
Southbound view of King Edward St. where it meets the median running along of St. Matthews Avenue. (CBC)Dauphinais would also like to see a guardrail put up along the median.
The residents made the request for the changes at a meeting on Tuesday of the city's standing policy committee on infrastructure renewal and public works.
The committee is considering the request.
