A Vancouver resident is speaking out after having his property damaged by car accidents twice in the last two years.
On July 18 around 9:45 p.m., an Acura was involved in a rollover collision at the Oak Street and Park Drive intersection, landing on the sidewalk outside Srini Amoudane’s residence.
According to Vancouver police, the driver of the Acura lost control and was the only vehicle involved.
"There were three people in the vehicle," Sgt. Steve Addison tells V.I.A. over email. "All occupants were taken to hospital for precautionary reasons."
The circumstances of the crash are still under investigation but Amoudane says it's only one of many road traffic accidents in the area that make the intersection dangerous for pedestrians.
Since this isn't the first time a car has landed in his yard, Amoudane is keen for the city to address safety issues at the intersection. He has compiled a collection of photos of various crashes over the last two years and says he's spoken to city council multiple times.
"I have asked for the city to put in cameras at the traffic light, speed cameras. We often see motorists speed," he says. "I have also asked the city previously to consider installing bollards at the intersection. Each time, the city has given me no concrete response and that improvements to the intersection won't be made until after the Marpole-Oakridge Community Center Renewal project is complete (which hasn't even started yet, and is currently scheduled to open in 2026)."
Amoudane is frustrated by what he considers to be the city's neglect of the safety of pedestrians on the sidewalk.
"Someone could have easily gotten seriously injured, or worse, if they happened to be there at 9:45 p.m. yesterday," he says. "We need action from the city to protect pedestrians and the motorists need to be held accountable for breaking speed limits and traffic regulations."
On Monday, Amoudane posted his photo collection to Twitter. Vancouver Granville MP Taleeb Noormohamed responded, promising to "raise this with the city."
According to ICBC statistics, there have been 264 crashes at the Oak Street and Park Drive intersection since 2018. One hundred sixty-five of them were "property damage only" and 99 resulted in casualties.
The intersection doesn't rank particularly high on the list of Lower Mainland crashes but it is fifth on Oak Street and number one for Park Drive crashes.
The City says it's aware of the most recent crash and are reportedly working with VPD to gather information. "Oak Street is a key north-south arterial in the city and sees a high volume of traffic on a daily basis," a spokesperson for the City tells V.I.A. in an emailed statement. "The speed limit is 50km/hr. This particular intersection is the first opportunity for drivers heading northbound off the Oak Street Bridge to turn left during the afternoon rush hour. It has been identified for future safety improvements with a potential left-turn bay for northbound movements along Oak St. The left-turn bay will allow drivers to have a better judgment as to when it's appropriate to complete safely the left turn during the yellow phase without the pressure of through movements behind them."
The timeline for implementing the turn bay, however, is dependent on the progression of adjacent development projects, they add.
The spokesperson also asks the public to note that Oak St. is a corridor with "a regional role in supporting moving people/goods movement, so any capacity changes must be carefully considered."
The article has been updated with a statement from the City.
