(ABOVE: Photo via Wendy Wright / @wrightofwayCFRA)
Avoid the corner of Hazeldean Rd and Carp Rd. Multiple cars in accident. #Stittsville pic.twitter.com/H8ZDGGElcp
— Nancy Therrien (@NancyTherrien2) September 26, 2017
Yet another collision at the intersection of Carp Road and Hazeldean Road, and residents are again calling for safety fixes at the intersection.
Is there any reason to believe the City will respond any differently this time?
Last night, police charged a male driver with impaired driving in a two-car collision at around 7:40pm. At least one person went to hospital with injuries.
City staff say that traffic isn’t heavy enough to justify any configuration changes. According to the latest collision stats, it isn’t among worst ten collision spots in the city. (We tried to find out the number of collisions at Carp and Hazeldean over the past few years, but it costs $108 to get the numbers.)
But the city’s data doesn’t capture the frustration and near misses that happen all the time at the intersection. The hill and the curve leading to the intersection create a sort of blind spot, especially for drivers heading north on Carp. Add a bit of speed (or alcohol) and you’ve got a really bad intersection.
Do we really have to wait for the number of collisions to climb — or a fatality — to get some action?
A quick (and presumably inexpensive fix) would be to add an advanced left green arrow for northbound cars. It won’t prevent every incident but it would be a start.
“I think the city needs to look at how the intersections are being designed. I think they need to get their eyes out there to actually see what’s happening in person,” said Tanya Hein, president of the Stittsville Village Association, in June 2016 after another bad accident.
Well said.
***
Some recent tweets about the intersection:
Agreed, always hard to see vehicles coming westbound if there are any trucks/buses waiting to turn south due to Hazeldean bend.
— Al Euegle (@AlEuegle) September 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/UncleRickee/status/912500245304659968
Agreed. Travelling north on Carp, trying to turn left onto Hazeldean, it's almost impossible to see oncoming traffic.
— Kevin Hayes (@KevinBHayes) September 26, 2017
@ShadQadri we really need a green arrow or an advanced Green at this intersection: Eastbound Hazeldean Road at Carp Road. Can u do it?
— Steve Pechkoff (@yellowx13) August 14, 2017
Collision in Stittsville at Carp and Hazeldean #OttTraffic @CFRAOttawa pic.twitter.com/EElg8l57dP
— Wendy Wright (@wrightofwayCFRA) August 4, 2017
View of 2-vehicle crash at Carp/Hazeldean. No injuries reported, crews on scene.#otttraffic pic.twitter.com/1TUgGLUB0A
— 580 CFRA (@CFRAOttawa) August 4, 2017
FENDER-BENDER: Hazeldean in Carp, just west of Carp Rd #otttraffic
— CBC Ottawa Traffic (@cbcotttraffic) August 2, 2017
Northbound drivers turning left to westbound Hazeldean have limited view of approaching southbound through traffic on Carp Rd.Fix it Shad ! https://t.co/4bJ3X3jt6a
— MIKE BRYAN (@MbryanMike) May 20, 2017
@ShadQadri @StittsCentral Another accident this afternoon at Carp/Hazeldean intersection. How many do we need before changes to this corner?
— Salty Girl Swirl (@saltygirlswirl) May 19, 2017
Thank you to Samantha for letting us know there is a collision at Carp and Hazeldean
Guy turning left hit a guy going straight #otttraffic
— Wendy Wright (@wrightofwayCFRA) May 19, 2017
Car hit a pole Carp and Hazeldean. Lights are out and police directing traffic #otttraffic pic.twitter.com/3ibyyL9J8C
— Wendy Wright (@wrightofwayCFRA) January 28, 2017
Another collision @ Carp & Hazeldean. Time to do something about that intersection @ottawacity @ShadQadri hope no one was injured.
— Joelle 🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@Lavender_Salts) June 29, 2016
when's the city going to wake up & install advanced green lights at this intersection heading east/west on hazeldean at carp?
— Ryan Hodgins (@HodginsRyan) June 7, 2016
Collision Carp&Hazeldean. Paramedic treated 3 occupants of car. F77 for fractured arm. Serious/stable cond. F80+M81 minor injuries. #ottnews
— Ottawa Paramedic Svc | Service paramédic d'Ottawa (@OttawaParamedic) June 7, 2016
Crash scene Hazeldean at Carp. @ottawaparamedic treating patients. #ottnews @ctvottawa @CFRAOttawa pic.twitter.com/UybPRCLhIl
— John Ruttle (@JohnRuttlectv) June 7, 2016
Why is it so hard to have advanced green in both directions from Carp onto Hazeldean? I have a small car and I can’t see to turn safely if there is someone waiting to turn onto Hazeldean from the other direction. There is a hill. I’ve been told people in large pick up trucks have the same issue. Are the authorities waiting for someone to die before they make a simple change?
Is it THAT difficult to install an advance green light from Carp to Hazeldean? I have to make that turn every day, sometimes a couple of times a day. I wait until I’m sure I can make the turn, so if that means buddy behind me is losing his mind, and blowing his horn to make me turn…well it’s not working. I’m not turning until the intersection is clear.
All four directions should have a left-turn light at this intersection. It’s always been bad. Also, traffic lights in Ottawa, even in Stittsville, have no consistency when they have count downs. They should be the same everywhere — count down to zero, then turn yellow then red. The current randomness leads to driver confusion, and often expects the driver to keep his/her eyes way off the road watching count downs that are … way off the road!
Across from this intersection. There is a gas bar when you gas up no matter what time. There are always issues there concerning vehicles bicycles pedestrians. The ambulances have been there numerous of times and police etc. Why not just fix the problem. It has been even worse since they added a bicycle lane. Starts then stops. You need eyes everywhere for this intersection.
Please note everyone I know in Stittsville or lives in Carp talks about this intersection. Some even drive another way if they can go down Kittiwake to avoid that corner.
I came along to that intersection last Monday at around 8:10 p.m. just after the accident had happened. Everything dark except for the flashing lights etc which were blinding the intersection. Wanted to turn left, East, to go home but instead went straight on and went the long way around to go home which is in Amberwood Village. Fix the intersection!!!!!