West Shore Parks and Recreation Society staff members are restricting access through the parking lot to Island Highway during the morning commute. (Black Press Media file photo)

West Shore Parks and Recreation is renewing efforts to restrict cut-through traffic from Ocean Boulevard to Island Highway after a staff member was seriously injured on Dec. 11.

A staff member was monitoring a scheduled closure of cut-through traffic through the centre’s parking lot and was “seriously injured during an encounter with a driver and a vehicle,” according to a statement from the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society released Friday.

READ ALSO: West Shore Parks and Rec shifts to random closures of Island Highway access

The staff member was taken to hospital for treatment and West Shore Parks and Recreation said police responded to handle the matter with the driver.

“The nature of the incident has left staff at [West Shore Parks and Recreation] feeling extremely concerned for the injured staff member and for the ongoing safety of the patrons on our site,” said Sandy Clarke, acting administrator. “West Shore Parks and Recreation is a large site that houses many facilities and spaces and is heavily used by community members of all ages, in particular seniors and children. The number of cars cutting through the site and the speed and which they are travelling must be addressed, or further injuries will occur.”

READ ALSO: Commuter alert: West Shore Parks and Rec closes access to Island Highway during rush hours

Staff have been conducting random closures of the parking lot to cut-through traffic from Tuesday to Thursday between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m. at the exit from the parking lot to Island Highway. The random closures began in November.

According to previous statements, the closures began in order to deter drivers from using the facility as a short-cut and to improve the safety of patrons and staff by reducing the amount and speed of traffic in the parking lot.

shalu.mehta@blackpress.ca

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