Recent collisions at a crosswalk near a New West elementary school have reignited calls for action from city hall.
In November, New Westminster resident Lyndsay Cotterall launched the online petition: Improve Safety at Elementary School Crosswalk (Sixth Avenue at Second Street). By Dec. 5, 1,100 people had signed the petition seeking improvements to the crosswalk next to École Herbert Spencer Elementary School.
At a Nov. 25 workshop on the 2025 budget, council voted 4-2 in support of a motion to have staff undertake a secondary review of intersection safety at Second Street and Sixth Avenue, including near-miss analysis, with the goal of implementing pedestrian safety upgrades, where warranted, by 2026.
In recent weeks, area residents have posted photographs on social media of two separate incidents where cars crashed at the intersection.
The Record checked in with New Westminster City Hall about the status of the intersection’s review.
“We are now going through our standard procurement process to retain a road safety consultant to complete this review for Second Street at Sixth Avenue,” Mike Anderson, the city’s manager of transportation, said in a Feb. 20 email to the Record. “We expect this technical work to be done through the spring.”
As of Feb. 24, 1,608 people had signed the online petition, which requested immediate action from the city to address the “perilous” intersection. Parents and community members have voiced fears students or other residents could be hit by vehicles involved in collisions.
