CROSSWALK CONUNDRUM
Undesirable weather conditions to blame for fading paint, says CBRM.
Cape Breton Regional Municipality is blaming this year’s undesirable weather for several unpainted crosswalks. Faded road crossings can be spotted throughout the municipality, including those located near common foot-traffic areas of the downtown Sydney core. CBRM has hired a private contractor to paint several of the crosswalks, using a heavyduty coating, but the weather has delayed completion.
“They’re using a special product that is more adhesive and should last longer,” said Deputy Mayor Eldon MacDonald, also a Sydney-area councillor.
MacDonald said this contractor travels across the province but can only complete jobs when the weather cooperates. Due to unseasonably cool temperatures experienced early in the season, MacDonald said the CBRM has fallen behind schedule.
“The weather kind of hindered us this year (with temperatures) staying as low as they did,” MacDonald said.
“The contractor that is hired can apply the product within days as opposed to our equipment that could take weeks for the same amount of work. The contractor works throughout
the entire province and is booked ahead of time for various communities, but weather conditions cause delay in this work getting done as quickly as everyone would like.”
Speaking on behalf of its public works department, CBRM spokesperson Jillian Moore, said this type of durable marking is expected to last through multiple seasons.
She said the opportunity to apply the adhesive only presented itself in late June and
early July.
“The manufacturer’s requirements for installation include narrow weather windows of minimum overnight temperatures and no precipitation 24 hours before or after application,” said Moore.
Moore said about 85 per cent of the CBRM’s crosswalks have been painted, including crossings that receive typical traffic treatments by both contracted services and staff. The municipality’s annual goal is to have
90 per cent completed by July 1.
CBRM’s crosswalk strategy purports that there are 1,438 crosswalks, including 109 push-button crosswalks, within its municipal boundaries. According to the 2017 document, municipal staff believe that if the community is serious about encouraging more people to get walking, then it is important to develop policies to improve pedestrian safety and comfort.
Although rates are lower than those experienced in larger cities, 334 pedestrians and 112 cyclists were struck by vehicles in the municipality between 2002 and 2014, or an average of 30 collisions per year.
According to Moore, their contractor has indicated that much or all of the remaining work could be completed as early as next week.