Paradise pedestrian island to include push button for those caught in the middle

By Mark Squibb

A pedestrian island to be constructed between Marie’s Mini Mart on Topsail Road and Octagon Pond, one of Paradise’s busiest stretches for traffic, will now come with its own push button.

“The pedestrian island to be constructed at 1682 Topsail Road does not include a push button device on the island itself,” said Deputy Mayor Kimberley Street during a recent public council meeting. “There are push buttons to activate the system on either side of Topsail Road and based on the Transportation Association of Canada design guideline, a push button on the island is not warranted and was not included in the design tender package.”

However, Street’s committee felt a push button should be added to the pedestrian island itself lest someone become stranded on the island for any reason.

The contractor, Eric Taylor Ltd, submitted a price of $2,496, HST included, for the added feature. That’s on top of the $238,642, HST included, council agreed to pay back in April for the new pedestrian island and warning lights.

“The committee is of the opinion that this is a reasonable cost for this work, and the contract is already higher than what was allocated in the 2024 budget, and so funds for this change will be redirected from the traffic calming budget,” said Street.

Councillor Larry Vaters commended the committee for making the recommendation.

“I think this is a great idea,” said Vaters. “It’s a small price to pay, and safety should be paramount.”

Councillor Glen Carew also applauded the motion and noted that adding the feature prior to construction will cost a fraction of what it could cost to add once the island is built.

Street, along with councillor Patrick Martin, also threw their support behind the motion, which passed unanimously, save that councillor Tommy Maher was not in attendance at the meeting and thus did not vote.

The Town has done extensive work at the intersection over the last number of years.