Region to do traffic study at Main and Market intersection in Liverpool

The Main and Market intersection in downtown Liverpool will be the subject of a traffic study by CBCL. (Rick Conrad file photo)

The Region of Queens will spend about $24,000 to do a traffic study of a downtown Liverpool intersection that has seen its share of collisions and close calls.

Last January, a 79-year-old woman was taken to hospital after being struck in the crosswalk at the intersection of Main and Market streets.

That reignited concern in the community about safety at the three-way stop.

Adam Grant, the region’s director of infrastructure, told council this week the intersection regularly has peak traffic volumes of 200 to 250 vehicles.

“Going back over the last year, we had lots of conversations regarding this intersection. Council’s concerns over the safety of it to pedestrian and motorists alike. We’ve been back and forth a few different times with reports, different analysis, different investigation.”

The previous council asked on Oct. 8 to issue a call for proposals for a traffic study of the area.

Grant said engineering firm CBCL could begin that work as early as Feb. 17. It will include looking at this intersection and others nearby, and installing cameras to monitor traffic and pedestrian movement. The firm will also interview pedestrians and motorists and use modelling software, and itt will look at projected traffic loads in the area.

He said it will be a broader study than one the region commissioned in 2015 from Insight Traffic Engineering.

Coun. Maddie Charlton said that many of the incidents seem to occur in one particular crosswalk, which runs from the post office to Five Girls Baking. 

“There have been numerous pedestrians struck on one crosswalk in particular in this area with the most recent being the worst. Luckily, the woman who was struck survive. But it is an ongoing issue, and … although there haven’t been an insane amount of pedestrians hit, I think one is too many. And so we need to address that.

“I’m uncertain about this study in one sense, because I don’t know if it’s going to solve the problem that we want it to solve. … I’m curious why we couldn’t just remove that crosswalk in that specific area, given that there are other substantial crosswalks in that area.”

Grant said he’s not a traffic expert and he’s unsure whether that would be the best solution. 

“I’m by far a traffic expert and I think that this study is a good investment to assure that we have a path forward to provide the paramount safety at that intersection. 

“Every leg of an intersection is considered a crosswalk. Where you have increased pedestrian movement, you delineate that by putting a sign up or painting it. I’m not aware of anywhere that would have a prohibited crosswalk from occurring. So I think to do something like that, we need to to go beyond who we have in this room to make that decision (and) provide some advice and do it cautiously to make sure that we’re getting the right solution, trying to solve the problem we understand.”

In his report, Grant detailed 36 reported incidents in the area from 2009 to 2024, according to information provided by the Nova Scotia government.

Five of those involved pedestrians being hit by cars in the crosswalk. Other pedestrians have reported or witnessed near-collisions at that intersection.

Grant said the main focus of the study will be how to improve pedestrian safety in that intersection.

Mayor Scott Christian said he understands Charlton’s desire to address the issue as quickly as possible.

“Certainly we want to be well informed with respect to making the decisions, certainly don’t want to drag our feet on it. I know that this was something that was batted about a bit in the past, and it is a priority concern to be addressed for public safety.”

The study will be funded from the region’s accumulated surplus of $6 million. Grant said the company could report back to council as early as May.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Queens councillors nix crosswalk flags, seek info on traffic lights at Main and Market

Region of Queens councillors want a staff report on installing traffic lights at the three-way stop at Main and Market Streets in downtown Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

Queens County pedestrians and motorists won’t see orange crosswalk flags at a busy intersection in downtown Liverpool, but they could see a return of traffic lights.

Region of Queens councillors on Tuesday voted against installing the flags at the three-way stop at Main and Market streets. But they did support getting a staff report on having full traffic lights at that intersection.

The area did have traffic lights decades ago, until they were damaged by a transport truck, and taken down.

Safety concerns have long been an issue at Main and Market streets. In 2015, regional councillors commissioned a study by Insight Traffic Engineering that found traffic control wasn’t an issue and recommended minor changes.

In 2019, councillors rejected installing pedestrian-controlled crosswalk lights at a cost of $27,000.

But a collision in January which sent a 79-year-old woman to hospital rekindled concern in the community about safety at that intersection.

Councillors asked staff to come back with options about how to make that intersection safer. Adam Grant, the region’s director of engineering and public works, said in April that there is no evidence crosswalk flags would help. And he said pedestrian-controlled lights at that intersection could interrupt traffic flow and create more problems. He said it’s unusual to have the lights at a three-way stop.

The Town of Mahone Bay installed an all-way stop in 2021 near Saltbox Brewery on its Main Street. It also has flashing red lights and orange crosswalk flags for pedestrian use.

The all-way stop in Mahone Bay by Saltbox Brewery. (Google Streetview)

Even though councillors on Tuesday rejected the flags, they said action needs to be taken to make Main and Market intersection safer.

District 2 Coun. Maddie Charlton said that it will only get busier with the new Queens Manor, the apartment building planned off Bristol Avenue and the planned Mount Pleasant development expected to house up to 1,200 people.

Charlton asked staff for the traffic light report.

“When I look around at other communities that have these three-way intersections, they have lights. And so I think it’s important that we understand what the criteria (are) for those lights. If another option has presented itself that we can consider, I think that would be helpful to have. We need something that tells us how we could get those traffic lights, what the criteria is, so if we’re not there yet, when can we pull the trigger on them.”

District 4 Coun. Vicki Amirault said it’s time for the region to address the problem.

“One person getting hit there is too many, and it’s been many over the years. So I think we really need to look into this and go forward on this and not stall so much on this problem. I know it’s been years and years, but I think we need to find a way forward.”

District 5 Coun. Jack Fancy said the flags would have been better than nothing. And he said he also supports pedestrian-controlled lights.

“There’s always going to be issues with each thing, but I believe the good outweighs the bad with this. Especially, what we’re aiming for right now is doing nothing. And I don’t think doing nothing is the answer.”

District 6 Coun. David Brown said enforcement and education would resolve a lot of safety issues.

“The lights won’t stop cars, the lines on the pavement won’t stop cars. You have to look for yourself and guard your safety. We’ve got a lot of development coming and I’d like to know what would trigger a need for (traffic) lights at that intereseciton because I think the stop control works well now if we enforce it.”

Mayor Darlene Norman said that when the traffic lights were operating at that intersection years ago, it seemed to help.

On Tuesday, councillors also approved $1,000 to study the feasibility of reducing the speed limit on Main Street from School Street to Riverside Drive, near Fort Point Lighthouse Park.

Residents submitted a petition to council in November, asking them to improve traffic safety in the area by lowering the speed limit and installing an all-way stop at Main and School streets. 

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Region of Queens councillors to tackle traffic again at Tuesday’s meeting

Region of Queens councillors will again discuss traffic safety in downtown Liverpool, at their regular meeting on Tuesday. (Rick Conrad)

Traffic concerns, a heritage property and money for community groups are some of the issues Queens County councillors will be discussing on Tuesday at their regular council meeting.

At their April 23 meeting, councillors wanted more study of traffic safety issues in downtown Liverpool.

They voted to defer a decision on whether to install orange crosswalk flags at the three-way stop at Main and Market streets. Staff did not support that idea. But councillors plan to discuss it again on Tuesday. 

Councillors also plan to consider a motion on Tuesday to spend $1,000 on a traffic study on Main Street, from School Street to Riverside Drive near Fort Point Lighthouse Park. 

This was after a petition from residents in November, urging the region to lower speed limits in the area and to create a four-way stop at the Main and School Street intersection. Residents want the current 50 km/h limit lowered to 40.

At their April 23 meeting, councillors heard from Adam Grant, the region’s director of engineering and public works. He said an outside consultant in February studied municipal roads that might meet the provincial criteria for lowering the speed limit to below 50.

That work found that 85 per cent of the traffic on the section of Main Street from School down to the park was already topping out at 42 km/h.

Grant told councillors it would cost $35,000 to hire a traffic consultant to study the feasibility of a four-way stop at Main and School streets.

The municipality also plans to use three mobile speed feedback signs to help with lowering speed in the area.

Mayor Darlene Norman summarized Grant’s report.

“We can let the petitioners know that it is possible to reduce the speed from School east to Main. We are going to continue to do the investigation to reduce speed in that area. … We are doing three speed feedback signs, so that’s speed calming, which we can place in other areas.”

Staff are recommending that council spend the $1,000 to study the section of Main Street from School Street to the park. But they are not recommending crosswalk flags at the three-way stop on Main Street.

Councillors will also vote on Tuesday on requests from 18 non-profit groups for operational, capital or event funding through the region’s community investment fund. 

Another 16 groups applied for funding of less than $1,000 each. Those requests do not require council’s approval. Staff assess those applications. If councillors approve the requests, the region will be giving $147,858.64 to community groups around Queens County.

And the Medway Area Heritage Society is applying for a municipal heritage designation for Seely Hall in Port Medway. 

Built as a general store, warehouse and shipping office in the mid-1800s by the family of privateer Caleb Seely, the building is now used for community events, such as the Medway Head Lighthouse Art and Craft Show every summer.

The region’s heritage advisory committee recommended the property for heritage designation. It said the role of the building as a community hall and general store and the prominence of the Seely family is of great historical significance to the area.

Council meets at 9 a.m. on Tuesday in council chambers on White Point Road. You can also watch the proceedings live on the Region of Queens Facebook page or YouTube channel.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com