A second left-hand turning lane added to the city's Second and Fourth Avenues intersection last year has caused excessive numbers of accidents and needs to be changed, members of city council have heard.

At their weekly meeting Monday evening, council members heard that a recent independent audit on Second and Fourth, done by traffic specialist Paul de Leur from Vancouver, concluded that May 2005 changes to the intersection have created a problem for motorists.

According to city documents, de Leur had a meeting and site visit to the intersection in July. He then came up with a report recommending that the intersection's double turning lane be returned to a single one.

Council will make the recommended changes to the intersection as of Sept. 29.

The cost for de Leur's services, according to Brian Crist, the city's director of operations, was 'in the $5,000-range.'

de Leur's report found:

• collision patterns indicated that the southbound left turn movement is the problem, with driver error and improper left turns being contributing factors;

• collision frequency and collision rate experienced a three-fold increase after changes were implemented at the intersection;

• the rate of collisions was considered problematic and excessive; and

• collision severity was not considered a problem;

de Leur's report recommended:

• the double left-hand turning lane should be returned to one lane;

• signal timings should be changed to accommodate traffic flow;

• the westbound right turn lane should be modified to reduce the skew angle to control entry speed onto northbound Two Mile Hill traffic;

• entrances to properties near the intersection, particularly on the north side of the intersection, should be restricted;

• intersection lines should be well painted; and

• high-collision intersection signs should be installed.

Sharilyn Gattie, a collision database administrator with the Yukon government, said in late April the intersection has experienced the highest number of accidents in the city by far.

The rate for that corner had been more than three times the number of accidents occurring at other intersections.

There had been approximately 16 accidents at Second and Fourth from the beginning of the year until May 1.

That was far higher than any other intersection in the city, she added.

Gattie said all other intersections in the city to that date had experienced fewer than five accidents.

According to the territorial motor vehicles branch, collisions at the downtown intersection nearly doubled, from 13 to 23, between 2004 and 2005. Accidents started to spike in May of last year.

A previous opinion to council by the city's traffic safety department made up of members from the Yukon government, RCMP, city bylaw, public works and the planning department determined the intersection changes are not a problem and accidents are primarily due to driver error.

Gattie and de Leur could not be reached for comment this morning.

The changes will be advertised to citizens on the radio in the newspaper leading up to the changes.