Residents call for crosswalk lights after 2 accidents in 24 hours on busy Burnaby road

Burnaby residents who live close to a busy intersection on Cariboo Road are upset that their worst fear has materialized after calls to put lights up at a busy crosswalk.

On Wednesday Fernanda Girotto, a 14-year-old international student from Brazil, was killed after being struck by a vehicle on the road just south of Highway 1.

• 15-year-old pedestrian killed in early morning collision

A day later a cyclist was also hit and injured.

'We wouldn't want any life to be lost'

People like Alexander John, who works for local church, Cariboo Road Christian Fellowship, have been lobbying the city to make the area safer.

"The last conversation or email that was communicated we specifically said we wouldn't want any life to be lost," he said.

The section of Cariboo Road is close to an off-ramp from Highway 1, where drivers exit then round a corner and travel up a rise before heading south on Cariboo Road.

Area residents say the section is a problem because it combines high speed and poor visibility.

There is a painted bike lane on the roadway where the incidents occurred.

The City of Burnaby says the crosswalk near where both incidents occurred had been the source of previous complaints. The City's also conducting a review of the section or roadway.

Residents like John say it's not happening soon enough, but Dave Critchley, who works in public safety for the City of Burnaby, says a committee is on it.

"I can tell you that we take it very seriously and there certainly has never been any sense from city staff or myself that this is not urgent," he said. "It's not been lost on me that there have been two traffic accidents back to back."

On Jan. 9  the city installed a board that monitors speed of northbound traffic. Critchley says other traffic calming measures are expected.

And area residents would like to see lights installed as part of the crosswalk.

"We feel it is important because we don't want to lose anymore lives," said John.

Critchley says the city is studying the two accidents to determine their cause and if there is a resulting need for a light at the crosswalk.

With files from Anita Bathe.