Crosswalk safety.
It may not be as prevalent of a discussion as public transportation or shoddy roads, but it's something that is very much worth addressing in Humboldt.
Since moving out here in May, I've been nearly hit by a car on three separate occasions while crossing the road via the marked crosswalk by the post office.
And when I say nearly hit, I mean it - the car came within inches of clipping me.
On other times, I've been blatantly walking across the street when a car will just bulldoze right through the crosswalk, with no regard for me, the pedestrian, whatsoever. It was still far enough away that I wasn't going to get hit, but close enough to me that it should have waited its turn and let me cross the road.
It's not necessarily the driver's fault; sometimes you just don't see the pedestrian until it's too late and you've already driven through. Other times it is the driver's fault and they're just not paying attention.
Or they don't care and feel they have an important event to be at and to heck with you.
It's actually quite surprising that Humboldt hasn't had more traffic accidents involving pedestrians. Given what I've witnessed over the past few months, it's a wonder it's not a municipal crisis yet.
But nonetheless, one life lost due to faulty crosswalk safety is one life too many.
I'm reminded of the good ol' Maritime city of Halifax.
I lived out there for five years while going to university and man, I felt like the Pope every time I crossed the street. Cars would screech to a hault, breaks being slammed, all just to allow me and my sagging bag of groceries to safely cross the road.
In Halifax, pedestrians eclipse drivers on the social hierarchy, by a wide margin. It's a custom there - when you see a pedestrian, you immediately stop for them without giving it a second thought. Don't question the system, just do it.
And it's awesome and it's safe and it's mostly because of their active pedestrian corridors throughout the city.
A pedestrian corridor is a marked crosswalk with pedestrian-activated overhead (or in some cases, side-mounted) amber flashing lights.
So in Halifax, whenever someone wants to cross the street, they simply hit the button and immediately, bright flashing lights worthy of being in Close Encounters of the Third Kind come on over the crosswalk and alert the oncoming drivers there's a pedestrian wanting to cross.
They're almost impossible not to see, unless you're driving with your head down. And in the years I lived out there, walking to and from everywhere, I never once saw a driver ignore the crosswalk lights and continue to drive through.
No one wants to be the jerk, especially in front of other drivers, who does that.
Humboldt needs these lights, especially on Main Street and 8th Avenue, where drivers are still in "highway mode" and not fully tuned in to watching out for pedestrians. The crosswalk outside the Canada Post office on the corner of Main Street and 5th Avenue is a big problem but I'm sure there are other areas in the city that could use this as well.
Yes, there's a crosswalk sign and a swirly little half-faded doodle to mark it on the street, but really, it's not eye-catching, especially when you're plowing into the city at 60+km/h.
The new school zone signs are certainly helping a bit and it's a great initiative the City has taken on but I think the next, most logical step up would be crosswalk lights, especially with Humboldt's population set to double in the next five to 10 years.
More people = more pedestrians = more likely accidents due to negligent/ distracted bone-head drivers.
Ah, it's such a good idea. Come on, crosswalk lights.
I can just see it now. Humboldt's new official song: "The City of Blinding Lights" by U2.
Ok, maybe not, but definitely the crosswalk lights. Yeah, we need 'em.
CM
