The city is taking action after a four-year-old girl was hit by a Transit Windsor bus.
City council on Monday approved spending $75,000 for the installation of a pedestrian crossover on Prince Road at Mic Mac Park.
That is the area where young Lila Jane was hit by a city bus, on Prince Road at Barrymore Lane, on the night of May 26. She sustained life-threatening injuries and continues to recover in hospital.
The neighbouring community rallied together after the incident and created a petition with more than 3,000 signatures calling for a crosswalk to be installed.
“I’m happy for the family,” says Ward 2 Councillor John Elliott. “It was important to them and the community because this park is going to get busy once the kids get out of school.”
On June 4, council fast-tracked a study needed before the project could be approved. That study found close to eight-thousand vehicles travel on Prince Road every day. It also found 77 per cent of vehicles exceed the posted 50 km/h speed limit near Mic Mac Park.
“There's no stopping from Queen to Matchette and they seem to fly down here. It's crazy, and at night it's worse. It's like a speedway,” says Pam Curtis, who lives on Barrymore Lane.
Curtis is happy council is installing the crossover.
“Oh I think it's wonderful. Kids cross that street and every time we hold our breath watching them get across there,” adds Curtis.
Deputy City Engineer Dwayne Dawson says the construction of the crossover will take place this summer.
“The crossing will be activated on either side of the road,” says Dawson. “They will have a sign with a flashing light on top of the sign on the curb and a sign overhanging the road as well to warn the motorist and there will be a crosswalk painted on the road as well.
Elliott says he has been getting updates from Lila's family, and she is improving.
No charges were laid as Windsor police say the young girl darted into traffic.
