This column is written as correspondence between Patty the Pedestrian and Mattie the Motorist.
Dear Patty,
In our last letter, you suggested an Ontario style crosswalk might be something to consider. It has good overhead signage which also lit them crossing well. But you say this started in the 1960s. Is it the same way today? Are there similar types of crossing in B.C.? Finally, is there some other way of getting drivers to slow down and pay better attention to pedestrians?
Signed, Maddie the Motorist.
Dear Maddie,
I haven’t been to my home town in a while but most Ontario cities have upgraded their crosswalks. Instead of sticking out your arm, pedestrians press a button which activates two each way overhead traffic light size flashing amber lights. It works very well. I haven’t seen anything similar in B.C. I can’t even find it in the 2019 B.C. Active Transportation Design Guide’s section on pedestrian crossings.
But getting drivers to slow down and pay better attention is quite another matter. Maybe we have to redesign the roads. I know when I drive, the road design “tells” me what the speed limit is. It is designed for that speed.
But what if we made the street narrower, more curved with trees close to the road? What if intersection turns were sharper with no slip ramps?
What if there were no right turns on red at intersections that had sidewalks? What if the pedestrian crosswalk was at the sidewalk height with a speedbump type “ramp” on its edge?
Wheelchairs would not have to ramp down and back up each time they cross a road. Slower driving will make it safer for pedestrians, cyclists and yes, people in wheelchairs too.
Since last spring, I have seen all these and many other traffic calming features in the cities and towns I have visited. I will write more next time.
Signed; Patty the Pedestrian
Bert Groenenberg is a pedestrian, cyclist and driver.
