[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Cootes_crosswalk.jpg” caption=”The new Cootes crosswalk is bustling with pedestrian traffic most times of the day.”]For fourth-year kinesiology student Shannon Mitchell, getting to class is suddenly a lot safer.

For the past three years, Mitchell has crossed Cootes Drive to get to campus from her home in the Ainslie-Wood area. But until this year, crossing this busy road was like taking a chance with her life. Now that there is an area where she can safely cross over, she feels much safer making the trek to class.

“Before, people would just run across the road when they had the chance and at times it was dangerous because the road can get really busy,” she says. “But if they didn't cross when they had a chance, they could end up waiting for a really long time.”

New traffic lights were installed this month at Cootes Drive and Sanders Boulevard. The “signalized intersection” is pedestrian activated and timed to coincide with the lights at Main St. West. There are wheelchair ramps on the crossing and the pavement aprons on each side of Cootes were also widened to eight metres and the crosswalk itself was delineated by standard white pavement markings.

“Helping pedestrians cross safety has been our goal for a number of years,” says Linda Axford, McMaster's campus planner. “We have written a number of letters to the City about the safety in that heavy traffic area and so it was good news when we heard that they would be putting the traffic light in there.”

The decision to improve pedestrian crossing on Cootes Drives was identified in the Ainslie-Wood/Westdale transportation master plan, says Ed Switenky, manager of traffic engineering and operations for the City of Hamilton. In addition, studies have found that more than 3,700 pedestrians cross Cootes Drive between 8 a .m. and 6 p.m. on a typical day.

While the lights have shown to improve pedestrian safety, Switenky stresses the importance of using the crossing correctly. “Pedestrians should not cross until signal indicates that they may do so,” he says. “Not only is it unsafe to disobey the signals, you can be charged with jay walking. Our number one concern is that we want this to be as safe for pedestrians as possible.”

The City will observe the effectiveness of the new lights over the upcoming weeks, he adds.

Axford, who drives on Cootes Drive regularly, has noticed a vast improvement in pedestrian traffic. “My concern was that people would still cross anywhere on Cootes Drive, as they had been doing, but when I drove by there today I noticed everyone was crossing properly now that the light has been installed.”