In the shadow of Calgary’s Dalhousie LRT station, a routine pedestrian crossing turned catastrophic last month, leaving two sisters with life-altering injuries and a family desperately seeking answers. It’s a scene that’s becoming distressingly familiar across our urban landscape – marked crosswalks that promise safety but sometimes deliver tragedy instead.
“We trusted that crosswalk,” explains Manjit Parmar, father of Simran and Jasleen, the young women struck while using a designated crossing on Dalhousie Drive NW. “My daughters did everything right, yet here we are, watching them struggle through recovery while wondering why better protections weren’t in place.”
The sisters were using the marked crosswalk near the Dalhousie Station around 8:30 p.m. on March 17 when they were hit by an SUV. Twenty-three-year-old Simran suffered critical injuries including brain trauma, while Jasleen, 21, sustained multiple fractures requiring extensive surgery. Both remain hospitalized nearly a month later.
Calgary Police confirmed the driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with their investigation. No charges have been filed as investigators continue gathering evidence, though speed and visibility conditions remain factors under examination.
This intersection, according to city data obtained through freedom of information requests, has seen four pedestrian-involved incidents since 2018, placing it among what safety advocates call “problem crossings” that fall short of the threshold for automatic signal upgrades.
“These mid-block crosswalks create a false sense of security,” notes Dr. Emily Chen, transportation safety researcher at Mount Royal University. “Paint and signage alone aren’t always enough, especially in areas with high traffic volume or limited visibility.”
The Parmar family has launched a community petition gathering over 1,400 signatures urging the city to install pedestrian-activated signals at the location. Their effort joins growing citizen pressure across Calgary’s 589 marked but unsignalized crosswalks.
Ward Councillor Terry Wong visited the site last week and has requested an expedited safety assessment. “The threshold for upgrades shouldn’t be measured in casualties,” Wong told me during a walkthrough of the location. “Every crossing deserves examination through the lens of prevention, not just reaction.”
City transportation officials confirm the crossing meets current standards but acknowledge these standards continue evolving. Calgary’s Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, approved in 2018, established a priority matrix for crosswalk improvements, though budget constraints have limited implementation to roughly 15-20 locations annually.
“We’re caught between competing demands,” explains Ravi Mehta, senior transportation engineer with the City of Calgary. “Each rectangular rapid flashing beacon installation costs approximately $50,000, while full signals run upwards of $150,000. With limited resources, we prioritize based on volume, collision history, and proximity to vulnerable populations.”
For the Parmar family, these explanations offer little comfort. Simran, a nursing student at Mount Royal University, faces an uncertain professional future. Jasleen may require additional surgeries to regain mobility.
“The true cost isn’t measured in dollars,” Manjit says, his voice breaking slightly during our interview at Alberta Children’s Hospital. “It’s measured in dreams interrupted and lives forever changed.”
Data from the Calgary Police Service shows pedestrian collisions remained relatively stable between 2018-2023, averaging 411 incidents annually, though severity has increased. Last year, nine pedestrians lost their lives on Calgary streets, the highest toll since 2017.
The provincial government recently announced a review of traffic safety regulations, including those governing crosswalks. Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen indicated potential changes to minimum standards could come later this year, though advocates warn provincial updates often lag behind best practices.
Accessibility advocates have joined the conversation, noting that current crosswalk designs particularly disadvantage seniors and those with mobility challenges. Sasha Malkin from the Calgary Accessible Transportation Coalition points out that the average pedestrian crossing time is calculated based on walking speeds that many Calgarians simply cannot match.
“When we design infrastructure assuming everyone moves at the same pace, we create inherent risk,” Malkin explains. “Add darkness, poor weather, or distracted drivers, and crosswalks become danger zones for our most vulnerable.”
The Parmar sisters’ accident sits within a troubling national context. According to Transport Canada, pedestrian fatalities have risen 24% nationwide since 2015, even as overall traffic fatalities declined – suggesting our road designs aren’t keeping pace with changing urban mobility patterns.
As the investigation continues, the family has established a recovery fund through their community association. Meanwhile, yellow flowers and handwritten notes have transformed the crosswalk into an impromptu memorial – and for many neighbors, a sobering daily reminder of infrastructure gaps hiding in plain sight.
“This isn’t about assigning blame,” Manjit emphasizes as we conclude our conversation. “It’s about ensuring no other family gets that midnight phone call we received. If sharing our story prevents even one more accident, my daughters’ suffering will have created some meaningful change.”
For now, the crossing remains unchanged – white lines on asphalt promising safe passage, while a family’s fractured reality suggests otherwise.
