Headed to Lonsdale Avenue? Beware of a new traffic rule

City of North Vancouver has just announced it won’t allow left turns on Lonsdale at 15th Streets.

“Too many pedestrian injuries there. So, no left turns northbound or southbound on Lonsdale at 15th Street,” CNV posted on Facebook today.

“That is a cheap temporary fix to a serious problem,” says long-time resident and council candidate Bill Bell. He says if too many pedestrians are being hit, the city should do something about it, rather than barring cars.

“They can put a left-hand turn in there. What they have done now will simply clog the streets. If you can’t turn on 15 Street, then people will have to take a turn on 16th and that will only clog the roads,” Bell  says.

The new traffic rule might also cause people to drive around their cars longer in the City. “By saying no left or right turns, they are getting more people to pollute the city with the cars. This is only going to create more congestion there,” Bell says.

Another resident, Sue Lakes Cook, says this change would only lead to more anger on the city roads. “This will make people angry, and I think people are still going to do that anyway,” she says.

The City of North Vancouver should install signal lights at the intersection to make sure it’s safe for drivers and pedestrians at a point where there is a lot of traffic, Cook adds.