Traffic light collector is on mission to make N.S. safer, one intersection at a time

Kyel Miller is on a mission to improve crosswalk safety by installing new light ‘phases’ at intersections across the province, one of which is in Lower Sackville.

In the last few years, crossing the street has become more and more dangerous, according to the province’s traffic signal inspector, Kyle Miller.

But Miller is on a mission to improve crosswalk safety by installing new light “phases” at intersections across the province, one of which is in Lower Sackville.

“The cars will get their green first, and once the green light turns red, the walk sign will come up, in this direction initially,” said Miller as he pointed across Beaver Bank Road. Three seconds later, he continued, the lights will allow pedestrians to cross Old Sackville Road. Pedestrians can then cross cross in all four directions.

They’re called “exclusive pedestrian phases,” also known as “all red phases,” which as the name indicates, are intersections where all vehicles get a red light so that pedestrians can cross more safely, without fear of cars turning into them.

Last year, Miller started installing exclusive pedestrian phases in different areas around the province.

“We started with those ‘Leading Pedestrian Intervals,’” Miller said. “But of course, with the long crossings, four or five lanes, with people who tend to walk a lot slower or may have mobility issues, there are cars that are still kind of squeak past them as they’re trying to finish their crossing.”

Leading Pedestrian Intervals, or LPIs, are something blind pedestrian advocate Milena Kahzanavicius said she wants to see removed, “until we get rid of the right-hand turn on a red.”

“Because what happens is you get a five second go-ahead for the pedestrian, and the driver is looking to the left …and they’re gunning it.”