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Deadly and dangerous crosswalks to get an upgrade

Victims injured while crossing city streets are hopeful other pedestrians will be spared, now that the city plans to overhaul the deadliest and most dangerous crossings.

The transportation department unveiled new criteria for improving crosswalks with a greater emphasis on danger and community complaints, as opposed to the number of people who use it.

"It could save somebody else from what I'm suffering now," Devinder Sunner told councillors Monday.

Sunner was hit by a pickup truck while crossing 149th Street at 121A Avenue in November 2013.

He suffered multiple fractures in his neck and lumbar spine and has not been able to return to work at Canada Post, which has a mail processing plant at the intersection.

He was the fourth postal worker to be hit at the crossing. The postal workers' union has since asked for changes, including flashing lights.

"We have made this request in the past, but they were turned down," Sunner said.

Now, under the new criteria, the intersection made the list of 200 crossings that need improvements.

Some of the changes could include overhead signs and flashing lights.

Coun. Michael Oshry said the change is an improvement, but realistically the city still won't get to all the crossings that need work.

"It's really expensive and we're never going to have the money," Oshry said, "We've got to pick and choose."

According to the current budget, the city can only afford to tackle 10 crossings per year. The money will come from photo radar fines.

Coun. Ben Henderson called the 20-year timeline to finish all the crossings "unacceptable."

He also questioned the new process after transportation officials turned down his request for improvements to the busy six-lane crossing on Whyte Avenue at 102nd Street where there are only painted lines.

"That's not giving me comfort as we move ahead," Henderson said.

The city already has plans to improve nine crosswalk locations this year, include four on Jasper Avenue between 113th and 120th streets.

The transportation department also plans to make striped road markings standard at new school crossings and some senior complexes.

Sunner is still hopeful the city will finally do what it can to save pedestrians in other areas of the city as well.

"I'm lucky I'm alive today," he said. "Whatever happened to me, it shouldn't happen to anybody else."

City staff will release the list of the 200 crossings in order of priority next year.