Mounting safety concerns could see a major overhaul coming to a busy London intersection, but city engineers warn the changes could cause other traffic problems.
After years of public outcry, the City of London’s engineering department has completed a study of the t-intersection at Beaverbrook Avenue and Riverside Drive is "failing and congestion and delays are significant."
To improve safety and efficiency, city staff recommended a half million dollars in improvements – adding traffic lights and a dedicated right turn lane.
However, according to the same engineering report that recommended putting lights at this intersection, the neighbourhood may be trading one traffic problem for another.
City engineers predict that the number of vehicles using Beaverbrook will soar because it will become a more efficient shortcut from Oxford Street towards the downtown. With 6,000 vehicles already using the roadway, engineers estimate rush hour traffic waiting for the light to change will still back up a third of a kilometer down Beaverbrook.
The report recommending the traffic light will go before the civic works committee on Monday.
