A crash between a pedestrian and a vehicle on a street in the city’s southwest last week has prompted the driver to call for changes to make the city more pedestrian friendly.

Todd Retzlaff was turning from 5th Street onto 58 Avenue SW at about 6:30 a.m. last Thursday when he collided with a woman in the crosswalk.

He called 911 immediately and stayed with the woman while they waited for EMS to arrive.

“All I saw was a hand come across the corner of the hood of my car and it was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen in my entire life,” said Retzlaff.

The woman in her 30s was taken to hospital in non-life threatening condition and is recovering.

Retzlaff went back to the scene the next morning to take some pictures to show how dark it was.

He says the woman was wearing black and that he didn’t see her until it was too late.

He was charged with failing to yield to a pedestrian and admits the crash was his fault but he feels more needs to be done to improve safety.

“This isn't the end of what could happen on that corner. Just because I was only doing 30 doesn't mean the next guy won't be doing 60 and we all know what happens to a pedestrian went you're doing 60,” he said. “The fact there was no streetlights, I'm not saying I'm not to blame, I just think there could have been a lot more that could’ve been done to prevent what has happened.”

The City approved a new pedestrian safety strategy last year that is aimed at reducing the number of crashes between pedestrians and vehicles.

“Last year we had one nearly every day and I think we’re at about 50 now, two and a bit months into the year, it’s still not good enough,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “I want to see more concrete actions taken.”

Some of the measures that have already been taken include:

  • Installation of 30 rectangular rapid flash beacons at various locations across the city (with plans for another 70 in the next year or so)  
  • A new crossing signal was added at Memorial Drive and 9 Street SW
  • Construction of five missing sidewalk links in various locations around the city

On Tuesday, council considered another idea that could give communities the chance to make small changes to pedestrian plans.

“What this grant program would do is create a bunch of micro-grants so that communities can explore things that they already want to do, that they’re already trying to do, cut the red tape, and then at the tail end look at what worked and what didn't work,” said Ward 9 councillor Gian-Carlo Cara

Retzlaff says he is looking forward to any changes that could prevent others from getting injured.

In 2015, there were 528 collisions between pedestrians and vehicles, seven of which resulted in death.

(With files from Alesia Fieldberg)