The City of Greater Sudbury is pushing a “see this sign, stop every time” message as it relates to pedestrian crossovers.
Although this message might seem self-evident, since pedestrian crossovers include signs which read “stop for pedestrians,” it’s either not common knowledge or frequently ignored by motorists. The signs are white and feature a black silhouette of a person walking.
In a report to city council members last month, city Active Transportation co-ordinator LyAnne Chenier reported compliance rates at seven pedestrian crossovers earlier this year as being between 24 per cent and 45 per cent, meaning most motorists don’t stop for pedestrians.
During last month’s meeting, Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh sussed out from city Traffic and Transportation manager David Knutson that drivers are, in fact, legally required to stop for pedestrians at these crossovers.
“I imagine we could do a bit of education on that, because I don’t think people realize that they have to yield to pedestrians,” McIntosh said at the time.
This education campaign has rolled out, with sponsored ads showing up on social media in recent days. Plus, Knutson said that radio ads, bus ads and other means of pushing the message would be pursued.
Greater Sudbury has 50 pedestrian crossovers throughout the community.
Last month, city council approved additional pedestrian crossovers at Elgin/Larch, Centennial Drive (north side of the Ecole St-Denis parking lot) and on Bancroft Drive at Third Avenue.
The city is also adding flashing beacons to eight existing midblock pedestrian crossovers this year, powered by solar panels.
In the future, the city “will increasingly rely” on pedestrian crossovers, “as it promotes and invests in alternate transportation modes,” according to Chenier’s report.
Further, she wrote, pedestrian crossovers “represent a significant cultural shift, giving pedestrians the right-of-way over motorists and provide crucial infrastructure for pedestrians to align with active transportation goals.”
While additional pedestrian crossovers are looked at, Knutson said the city would also review situations where provincial regulations indicate they are not required (at least 100 pedestrian crossings during the peak eight hours of the day are required to meet the threshold).
Greater Sudbury Police Service members will also conduct targeted enforcement efforts, according to Chenier’s report.
As the city’s website clarifies, drivers and cyclists can be fined $150 to $500 and receive three demerit points for failing to yield to pedestrians at pedestrian crossovers. Pedestrians can be fined $35 for moving into the path of a vehicle that is so close that it’s impossible to stop in time.
The Ministry of Transportation points out that drivers, including cyclists, must stop and yield the entire width of roadway (which means waiting for pedestrians to clear the entire road) at pedestrian crossovers, school crossings and locations where there is a crossing guard.
“Only when pedestrians and school crossing guards have crossed and are safely on the sidewalk can drivers and cyclists proceed,” they clarify.
School crossings are different from pedestrian crossovers, a city spokesperson clarified to Sudbury.com.
Where pedestrian crossovers are black and white, school crossings are accompanied by yellow signs featuring an image of two people walking, at which motorists must stop and yield when a crossing guard is present.
“When the school crossing guard is not present, or when they are not actively displaying the sign, there is no legal requirement as a motorist to stop and yield right-of-way to a crossing pedestrian at a school crossing under the Highway Traffic Act,” the spokesperson noted.
Some pedestrian crossovers are lighted, some have additional warning signs and some have pedestrian push buttons, but regardless of the type, pedestrians have the right of way at pedestrian crossovers.
The City of Greater Sudbury introduced pedestrian crossovers in 2016.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.