The Cochrane Legion is asking commuters to show a little consideration when passing through the alleyway between Fourth and Fifth Ave. to help keep everyone safe.
President of the Cochrane’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch 15, Brad Ross, outlined that the situation outside of their building poses a significant traffic hazard on all sides of the alleyway.
“What I find is at the end of each side, it’s only wide enough for one vehicle,” Ross said. “So, you get a line up of people trying to get in and can’t get out, which creates a traffic jam.”
Ross added that some drivers also use the alleyway as a way to beat the traffic lights along Fifth Ave. and 1st St.
“They cut through he parking lot, and I’ve had people coming out and almost be hit by people going way above the posted speed limit,” Ross said.
The Town recently installed new signage on both ends of the alleyway indicating that it is a pedestrian crossing alongside a 20 KM/h speed limit. At the end of the day, Ross said people are simply not looking at them and just whipping through the alley.
“To me, that’s a hazard,” Ross said. “Yes, there’s other businesses here, but their primary entrance isn’t the alleyway where ours is, and we’re limited in space for parking, which creates more of a hazard.”
“My concern is that eventually somebody’s going to get hit.”
With the vast majority of patrons at the legion senior citizens, with some that are visually impaired, Ross said this poses a real risk due to their entrance leading directly into the alleyway.
“If people could just show some consideration, slow down, go around, and use the alleyway for access to the parking lots, not as a thoroughfare, that would make things a lot easier,” Ross said.
Ross simply asks for the consideration of the community, adding that it will take some time to find an appropriate solution. For now, he outlines that the Legion intends to do their due diligence and asks that commuters do the same.
“It’s a community thing in my opinion, and it’s going to take a community to work together to make it a safe place,” Ross said. “Everybody’s time is important, and sometimes there’s extenuating circumstances, but just consider that maybe people are lined up in traffic for a reason. You don’t need to rush past them and potentially cause harm to someone in doing so.”
