Busy Stratford road still waits for traffic lights
In the wake of a conflict of interest complaint about new traffic lights in the transportation minister's district, Stratford, P.E.I., is wondering when it can expect lights for the entrance to its business park.
'It's a growing safety issue.' — Coun. Sandy McMillan
The Town of Stratford, just east of Charlottetown, has been asking for lights at the entrance to its business park for 10 years. Coun. Sandy McMillan wonders what traffic research the province did before deciding to upgrade the Cornwall intersection first.
The intersection of Mason Road and the Trans-Canada Highway leads to the police and fire departments, a major soccer complex and a number of businesses.
"There's an absolute need," said McMillan, who chairs the planning committee.
"It's very much a safety issue and it's a growing safety issue. It's not something going away."
The new lights in Cornwall, just west of Charlottetown, are at the entrance to the Cornwall Business Park. The Opposition made its conflict of interest complaint because the lights are also adjacent to a new subdivision owned by Transportation Minister Ron MacKinley.
McMillan has the research to show about 1,500 vehicles a day turn on and off the Trans-Canada at the Stratford Business Park. The Department of Transportation refused to provide CBC News with traffic research for the Cornwall Business Park intersection. CBC News called the four companies in the Cornwall Business Park to find out how many people work there, and how many customers they serve.
The informal survey suggested about 100 vehicles access the Cornwall Business Park daily.
Department of Transportation spokesman Andrew Sprague said putting lights at the Mason Road intersection in Stratford would be unsafe, because of a nearby curve in the Trans-Canada Highway. Sprague said there are plans to eventually relocate the intersection.
The department is not making any further statements or releasing more information regarding the Cornwall intersection until the conflict of interest commissioner's report is released.