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Prince Rupert city, school board want traffic light installed at McBride and 9th Ave.

The City of Prince Rupert and school district have requested a traffic light be installed at the crossing on McBride Street and 9th Avenue.

The City of Prince Rupert and the Prince Rupert School District have requested that the Ministry of Transportation install a traffic light at the crossing on McBride Street and 9th Avenue to ensure young Prince Rupert pedestrians are safe.

City councillors and members of the board of education met in recently to discuss issues, including a traffic light on McBride, which is part of the Yellowhead Highway.

The city has sent a request to the Ministry of Transportation to consider putting in a light, following the increase in students crossing the highway with the amalgamation of the two high schools leaving the lone high school on the east side and the creation of a middle school for students from grade six to grade eight on the west side.

"Some sort of defined signal that would create more awareness [would be appropriate]," Mayor Jack Mussallem said.

"We have a fair amount of students that go back and forth across there to the middle school and we have lots of groups from [other schools] crossing there to go to the civic centre for different events," Lynn Hauptman, Superintendent for School District 52, said.

Hauptman also said the light would be helpful for traffic when the area is congested before and after school.

"It would be helpful not only for the people walking to get safely across the road, but also for the people driving on 9th to get onto McBride," said Hauptman.

The city is now waiting to hear back from the Ministry of Transportation on the matter. Whether a full traffic light, or pedestrian controlled crossing light is installed is up to the province.