Dear editor:
I'm an admirer of innovations to encourage cycling and promote cycling safety. I'm also a driver.
I have concerns about the implementation of the elephant footprint road sign and marking system.
Mass confusion about these reigns among my friends and co-workers.
The signs themselves are not self-explanatory, and leave all road users confused.
My co-workers and I debated this. We concluded that the best approach would have been to use existing and familiar signs and marks such as "Stop" and "Yield" for cars and bikes. This has been done on a cycle path near Victoria, and it appears to work well.
Before implementing a brand new, totally unfamiliar system, a massive public education campaign is needed. This should include social media, local TV stations, flyers, radio, and newspaper ads with diagrams, and opportunity for public feedback. How about a quiz, with prizes?
If each municipality adopts its own road signs a ridiculous situation is created. All road users should have to stop at each municipal boundary and search for advice on new signage on their mobile devices.
A search of the District of North Vancouver website yields no results for elephant footprints, yet some of these markings appear at Keith Road and lower Mountain Highway.
Currently, young driver education does not include these signs.
If this system is to be used, it should be "rolled on through" the entire province, and ideally across Canada, supported by wide publicity.
Clare Cormier
Lynn Valley
Editor’s note: City of North Vancouver spokeswoman Connie Rabold says a study is underway. Video is being collected at crosswalks with elephant feet markings – with and without green paint – and a staff report based on the findings from the video results will be presented to council in late June/early, with recommendations regarding the addition of green paint to elephant feet crosswalks, and its implications, and whether pedestrian/cyclist pavement marking symbols should also be added. Meantime, the city has posted this educational video to its website on elephant feet and how they work.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IndxWCLozI
