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Users of the Victoria/Wallace/Albert intersection in downtown Nanaimo noticed a significant change on Friday, July 8 (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)
traffic change

New 4-way stop aims to brake frustrations at downtown Nanaimo intersection

Jul 10, 2022 | 7:51 AM

NANAIMO — A new four-way stop intersection will be under the watchful eye of City of Nanaimo officials.

The prior three-way stop sign suddenly gave way to a four-way stop sign at the Victoria/Wallace/Albert intersection on Friday, July 8.

The City’s transportation manager Jamie Rose said the change is part of the downtown mobility hub project in which the public clearly stated the traffic control mechanism of the intersection was confusing and required action.

“We wanted to pilot a four-way stop there to see if that would help to address some of the concerns folks were having with the little bit of ambiguity with the Commercial St. leg coming in without a stop control.”

Rose said many intersection users approached the area with trepidation since it portrayed as a four-way intersection, but wasn’t.

Rose said accidents didn’t play a big role in this decision, but rather to simplify movement for all intersection users.

“There are circumstances like that where drivers or pedestrians either avoid an area or tend to get into a hyper-alert sense. Collision factors aren’t always the biggest driver. This is more of a proactive approach to try to reduce that confusion,” Rose said.

ICBC data showed only six collisions involving vehicles at the intersection in 2021.

Rose said the City will be tracking how the new-look intersection performs under the trial process.

“We are going to be tracking it for the next while and see what sort of changes result from that.”

Many more traffic related changes are the horizon in the coming years for the immediate area, which is slated to be drastically altered under the downtown mobility hub project.

The mobility hub movement aims to create a more welcoming, pedestrian friendly corridor on Terminal Ave. between Esplanade and Stewart Ave in phases in the coming years.

The City intends to urbanize the streetscape and create less of a highway feel through the heart of downtown.

Advancing plans by a developer to overhaul the long-dormant old A&B Sound building at the Wallace/Commercial/Terminal Ave. intersection is seen as a vital project to help revitalize the area in conjunction with the mobility hub project.

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