DARTMOUTH – You could call it a pet project or a labour of love, either way Norm Collins is passionate about crosswalks.
Since 2007, he’s been lobbying the city in various ways to improve crossings — even spearheading a crosswalk flag pilot project on Waverley Road.
But after a year, Halifax Regional Municipality’s traffic authority nixed the project because it wasn’t effective enough.
“Really, when you look at it, since the deaths of a couple teenagers in the mid-2000s, which is what spurred us on – very, very little is being done,” says Collins. “Even though they have a crosswalk safety advisory committee now, it just seems to be moving at a snail’s pace.”
To combat what he sees as a lack of meaningful action, Collins has launched a safety website in hopes it will be used as an educational tool for people of all ages.
The site contains information on studies into pedestrian crossings, videos from other cities and quizzes about current laws.
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Collins says some of those laws surprise even the savviest of walkers and drivers.
Take countdown lights, for example.
“When the sign in the countdown lights turns on, if your foot is not in the crosswalk, you are not allowed to enter,” he explained.
Collins is hoping the city will promote his site as a tool, but also take other actions — like creating a city-wide, annual crosswalk safety awareness day as a chance for communities to spruce up and draw attention to pedestrian crossings.
“I think the website is wonderful,” says HRM District 15 Councilor Steve Craig. “It’s another vehicle out there for people to become informed, to become educated and to consider their actions may have negative consequences. The question is, will people go to it?”
Craig admits the city bureaucracy can move slowly at times, but insists there is work being done to assess cross walks and implement possible improvements.
In the meantime, the municipality’s traffic authority is aware of Collins’ site and, while it won’t come out and endorse it, says there is useful information on it.
“For example, there’s a crosswalk at every intersection whether it’s marked or unmarked,” says Taso Koutrolakis, with HRM Traffic and Right of way services. “Pedestrians must push a push button at the RA5 cross lights before crossing.”
Collins also hopes the school board will allow the site to be used as a learning tool in classrooms.
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