Charlottetown applies for funding to make Ken's Corner safer
Sarah MacMillan | CBC News | Posted: March 26, 2018 9:00 PM | Last Updated: March 26, 2018
City hopes for municipal gas tax funding to redesign troublesome intersection
The City of Charlottetown hopes to make a notorious intersection safer with funding from the province.
The intersection between Euston St., Weymouth St., and Longworth Ave. — known locally as Ken's Corner — has been a concern for residents, businesses and the city for years.
"It's an odd corner, it has existed for a long time, a lot of people complain about it," said Paul Johnston, manager of infrastructure and asset management for the city.
Charlottetown applied for municipal gas tax funding to pay for a design engineering consultant to look at the intersection and come up with ways to make improve it.
'All day you hear the horns'
Paul Thomson works at A-1 Vacuum, located at the corner of Euston St. and Longworth St. He said he constantly sees confusion at the intersection.
There's just cars coming from so many different directions. - Louise Corota
"Continually all day you hear the horns, you hear brakes, tires squealing. People honking at people who are trying to get them to go through red lights when they're not sure, they're looking at the wrong one," Thomson said.
He's seen a number of fender-benders over the years, and believes it's "only a matter of time" before there's a more serious accident.
Meanwhile Louise Corota, who works at the Charlottetown Curling Club on Euston St. just west of Longworth St., said she feels she's "taking my life in my hands" whenever she tries to cross the street.
"There is no easy safe route to go across literally 30 feet," Corota said. "There's just cars coming from so many different directions."
Waiting for funding
In its application for gas tax funding, the city notes there have been "a number of minor accidents, and numerous near-misses" at the intersection.
The city is asking for $275,000 to cover half the projected cost of both the design engineering, as well as eventual construction. The city would pay the other half.
Johnston said the idea is very much in the early stages. The funding request would first need to be approved and then the city would have to see what ideas the consultant comes up with.
Thomson at A-1 Vacuum said he's happy the city is looking to do something about the intersection.
"I think it's an intersection that definitely could use something," he said. "And whether it's a roundabout, or some delayed turning signals or something, I'm not sure."