An Oliver town councillor believes that government should be more proactive than reactive when it comes to pedestrian safety.
Councillor Maureen Doerr said government always seems to wait for someone to die before taking action to improve safety.
She made this comment last week when council was discussing new safety lighting for residents north of Town.
The discussion stemmed from Area C director Terry Schafer’s recent presentation requesting a couple of solar street lights to illuminate the way for residents north of Lion’s Park.
But Ministry of Transportation representative Jeff Wiseman said they generally install street lights when there is a history of accidents. “I’m not aware of that location being an accident-prone area.”
However, Wiseman said the ministry would want to ensure that whatever lighting is proposed would be compatible with the existing lighting in the area.
The idea of a sidewalk was also proposed, and Wiseman said it would need to meet current standards.
Schafer said he was only asking for a couple of lights, but expressed his support for a sidewalk too.
But water councillor Rick Machial said he wasn’t sure if he wanted a sidewalk next to the highway, noting that would encourage people to walk beside the highway, resulting in potential hazards.
Schafer said the regional district would contribute up to $20,000 for the project.
Council requested staff to come back with a report outlining the lighting options available to the Town.
