Safety at the Intersection of Gerrard Street East and Pembroke Street

Residents have also brought forward serious sight line and visibility concerns, affecting all intersection users. There have, additionally, been numerous complaints regarding the location of the pedestrian crossing activation button on Pembroke, which is located several feet south of the crossing. Pedestrians who activate the crosswalk, are not visible to cyclists and motorists approaching the intersection. Pedestrians must then take time to walk forward and reach the corner, before proceeding through the intersection, leaving them extremely vulnerable to cars and cyclists. These combined concerns have created a condition that has left residents and their families feeling unsafe. My staff have engaged in two site visits over the past two years, in an attempt to address the issues at this intersection. These site visits included the Garden District Residents Association, and Transportation staff. While these visits have resulted in some helpful trimming back of vegetation, there has not yet been a coordinated response, from Transportation Services, to the safety concerns expressed by intersection users. In order to have a more thorough understanding of the traffic safety conditions affecting this area, and how they may be remedied, I believe that a comprehensive safety review must be performed. I therefore recommend the following: