The City of Nanaimo is staging a trial run of a four-way stop at the Commercial Street and Bastion Street intersection downtown prior to making it permanent.
An existing traffic signal will be removed at the end of this month. The four-way stop will be in effect on Sept. 1 and a four-way red flashing light will be operating.
The pilot project will run until October.
Plans call for the intersection to be upgraded in 2021, the City of Nanaimo said in a statement.
If the four-way stop is successful, it may be incorporated into the new design.
City transportation manager Jamie Rose said the new system should make walking downtown more enjoyable.
“This intersection sees only moderate traffic volumes but can see in excess of 200 pedestrians during afternoon peak hours,” he said.
“Under these conditions, research suggests a four-way stop may be more appealing for pedestrians than a traffic signal because each motorist approaching the intersection must stop and look around them.”
