New Glasgow working to enhance crosswalk visibility
With driver distraction at an all time high, local police and municipalities are working together to get the attention of those behind the wheel especially near crosswalks.
In the Town of New Glasgow, they followed research done in Florida and Calgary to install a new form of crossing lights last fall.
Instead of the overhead lights that have been used in the past along busy stretches, the new lights, known as rectangular rapid flashing beacons, are installed at eye level so that drivers will see them easier.
So far the Town of New Glasgow has installed two of the flashing beacons: one at a crossing on Vale Road and another along Abercrombie Road. There are plans to install a third elsewhere in town as well.
Town engineer Earl MacKenzie said New Glasgow is among the first if not the first to test this type of crossing signal in the province.
He said the locations were chosen because they occur midblock and there is a greater risk for pedestrians.
When the pedestrian pushes the button to cross, the lights immediately begin to flash.
“At night they’re quite bright,” MacKenzie said. “We’re getting really good comments, especially on the Willow Avenue one.”
The cost per crosswalk for the devices and set up is about $6,000, he said.
“This is a warning (for drivers), but the onus is still on the pedestrian to cross safely,” he said.
The town is also using what’s known as zebra print at the crosswalks instead of just the two solid lines, which helps make them more visible, particularly in the winter where snow and ice can cover portions of the crosswalk.
Const. Ken MacDonald said the town is also going to be testing putting orange flags at crosswalks.
“It’s all about trying to increase safety,” he said.
The Town of Pictou also looked closely at its crosswalks recently after a concerned citizen sent a letter to council on the topic.
With the help of RCMP, town staff prioritized crosswalks that have been identified as having safety concerns based on past incidents.
The four were West River Road and Alfred Street, Water Street in front of the Royal Bank, the intersection of Front and Coleraine streets and West River Road and Atlantic Avenue.
It was decided that either new signage or some sort of realignment was needed to make the crosswalks safer for pedestrians, but this comes with a price tag of $15,800.
Council decided to move the discussion to its upcoming budget deliberations.