The crosswalk to nowhere at Fairview Mall, St. Catharines, Ontario

This is the west side of the north crosswalk at the Fairview Mall entrance traffic lights. (Swiss Chalet corner)
The paint for the crosswalk is all worn away.
The sidewalk ENDS as soon as you cross! NO PEDESTRIAN ACCESS!!
Now imagine a senior with a walker, a mother with a stroller or a shopper with a wheeled shopping basket...what do you do when you get to this spot? Well, you could cross again to the south side of this intersection and then there is a partial sidewalk into the Mall that also ends long before you reach the mall building itself!
I don't know who allows these unsafe conditions. Who is to blame? The City of St. Catharines? The owners of the Fairview Mall?
I will try to find out & post it as soon as I can.

The ULTIMATE pedestrian crosswalk!

This would be the best type of crosswalk at the entrance to the Fairview Mall traffic lights on Geneva St.
When all vehicular traffic is stopped, pedestrians can cross the street diagonally and feel safe while doing it.
I've seen these crosswalks in Beverly Hills & Edinburgh, Scottland.
Wouldn't it be great to have one?

Fairview Mall Entrance Traffic Lights with Crosswalks to NOWHERE

Well, here is the south crosswalk at the Fairview Mall, Geneva St. traffic lights - the only place to "safely" cross Geneva St. to
access the Fairview Mall besides the traffic light at Carlton/QEW at Geneva OR all the way down to Scott. St. at Geneva St. (quite a distance away!)
This crosswalk ENDS before it reaches a sidewalk in the right turn lane for vehicles exiting the Fairview Mall parking lot.
Again, I can't stress enough, IMAGINE having a baby stroller, young children, a disability or being a senior and you cross the intersection and end up in a NO FOOT TRAFFIC area. Where can you safely access a pedestrian route to the Mall??
There isn't one!

Photo of Geneva St. Looking North from Wood St. St. Catharines, Ontario

A convenience store is on the left side of Geneva St. and the closest proper CROSSWALK going north is undetectable!!
For a society that is hell bent on going "green" as a pedestrian in this situation, you would have to walk pretty far to cross
at a light when the convenience store is right across the street! IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO WALK ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CROSS AND THEN WALK ALL THE WAY BACK UP THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET!

I will be shooting video soon of the "dragway" between Fairview Mall and Scott St. on Geneva St.
With no lights or proper crosswalks cars speed along this stretch of asphalt regularly.

Like I said, its a dangerous situation for foot traffic and vehicular traffic alike! What motorist wants to hit a pedestrian???

artist Peter Gibson aka Roadsworth

http://www.roadsworth.com/main/index.php?x=browse&category=2

Crosswalk Flags

Crosswalk Flags

Pedestrian InRoads volunteers are putting up crosswalk flags.
Support efforts to make Seattle and the rest of the world safe for walking!

Now here's a bright idea! Would it work in St. Catharines? I would definitely feel safer crossing Geneva St. with a bright orange
flag in my hand! The more I walk around - the more I see the need for something like this.
My main objective with this blog and letters to council is to have a Crosswalk Light installed at Wood St. and Geneva St. but I
see more areas where crosswalks are needed. Another dangerous street to cross is Carlton between Lake St. and Geneva St.
There are 2 schools, a church, restaurant, school board, grocer, and motel on the north side of the street and nary a crosswalk
to be found.

Feedback from fb posts

Cherie Turton -"Tell them to stop shopping...it's dangerous!!!

Jim STeel - Good call, 'B'. Cross walk lights might even slow down the Geneva St. Dragway too. Thanks.

Joy Rosebush - good for you "B" last time I was back in Canada, I crossed there and thank god I was still young enough at heart and physically able to make a run for it.

John Gill - It's just a matter of time before someone runs into the LCBO yelling, "Call 911!", the way people drive in front of that store like they are on Geneva St. Wood St. is crazy because people use it as a short cut between Geneva and Carleton.

Joy Rosebush - have you sent letters to the editor of the standard? invite the mayor to cross the road there with you.

Joy Rosebush - it's sad to think my mother loves Harveys for a budget burger and combines it with having her nails done at Mimi's she said she drives across the road because it's safer!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????

Joy Rosebushthe town I live in here in Holland is great, we have seperate roads for buses, bicycles & pedestrian paths cross under the roads,,,,,,,,,

how about CAUTION PEDESTRIANS CROSSING signage

When I think about it,
if the same number of deer, moose, or other animal was attempting to cross Geneva St. to get to the Fairview Mall, LCBO, or the convenience store on the west side of Geneva St. there would be a
CAUTION - DEER CROSSING sign to warn motorists.

The very least the city/region could do is put up CAUTION PEDESTRIANS CROSSING signs along that stretch of Geneva St.

What is really needed is a traffic light at Wood and Geneva St. or an on-demand cross walk light as featured elsewhere in the city.

It seems to me that no one on council (city or region) has anyone they love attempting to cross Geneva St. or something would have been done by now.

The police report of the elderly pedestrian that was hit states he was "attempting to cross where no cross walk is located"
almost sounding like it was the old guys fault. THERE ARE NO PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALKS THERE!! and crossing at the light at the entrance to the mall is a joke with all motorists either turning left or right when pedestrians are supposed to try to cross.

Wanted - Crosswalk to Fairview Mall

Today kicks off the project that's been in my head for too long!
Now that I work at the Fairview Mall LCBO in St. Catharines Ontario,
the need for a crosswalk on Geneva St. at Wood St. and also Wood St.
and Carlton is so very obvious it's appalling that the citizens of
our city haven't revolted over this yet.
My parents live off of Wood St. and the only way for them to
safely cross to the Fairview Mall is at the only light at the entrance to the mall.
I challenge everyone to attempt to cross at those lights and see how
difficult and unsafe it is.
With only ONE crosswalk on the south side of that intersection,
and there being a plaza across from the Fairview Mall MOST OF THE VEHICULAR
TRAFFIC IS TURNING NORTH OR SOUTH FROM THE MALL!
and this is when pedestrians are attempting to cross the ONE & ONLY
crosswalk between Scott St. and Carlton/QEW on Geneva St.
Did you know that located on Wood St. are the Parks & Rec dept. of the City of
St. Catharines with all their trucks and motorized equipment, Lancaster Park with its Ball Park, Soccer Field and large Swimming Pool and off Wood St. are 2 seniors homes and 50 odd homes and a Church.
A city bus services Wood St.

ALL THIS TRAFFIC MUST ENTER AND EXIT AT EITHER GENEVA ST. OR CARLTON ST.!!!

And all with NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS, CROSSWALKS OR WARNING SIGNS!

On Carlton St. you can either cross at the intersection at Vine Street or again,
you must go all the way to Geneva/QEW to attempt to cross the street!!

In an area of pedetrians and drivers including city workers, seniors, churchgoers, swimmers, ball players, game watchers children, etc......
demonstrates that the people in charge NEVER visit this area of the city and obviously do not LIVE in this area or there would be safer options for all our citizens.

Have you driven on Scott St. between Geneva & Niagara?? Plenty of safe places to cross Scott St.

Have you driven by Memorial School or Hotel Dieu and seen or used the on-demand crossing lights?

and what about 4th avenue from Ontario to 3rd St. Louth???
Enough traffic lights and crossings? Again, PLENTY!!!

The minimum safety feature that is acceptable is an ON DEMAND CROSS LIGHT at Wood St. and Geneva St.
and at Wood St. and Carlton.
Anything less is dangerous to all who use this area of the city.

I challenge the owners of the Fairview Mall and the LCBO and the City of St. Catharines and The Niagara Region to build safer access for pedestrians AND drivers who live or frequent this area.

More to come.....
see pics soon!!