Parents in Calgary, Alberta, are demanding a solution to a potentially deadly problem, as they called out an unsafe crosswalk on their kids' way to school.
According to CityNews Calgary, students at the Crossing Park School in the northeastern suburb of Martindale have to cross a main thoroughfare to get to and from school each day.
Parents say the crosswalk is poorly lit and incredibly dangerous for kids, and they want a fix. Pictures of the crosswalk show no signage to designate it as such, no flashing lights or other warnings for drivers that it is a crosswalk, and — because it isn't at an intersection — no way for traffic to stop to ensure safe passage.
"The thing is, we're not allowed to go in the parking lots, we're not allowed to stop in the middle of the road, but that's what parents are having to do, and then the crosswalks — parents aren't stopping," parent Kailah Howe said.
Walkers and cyclists have started to push back against thoughtless design choices in cities that are unfriendly to pedestrians.
Shopping centers in Texas have been lambasted for their lack of walkability, while microscopic and poorly maintained sidewalks have drawn considerable ire in other places as well. New York City is hoping to reduce traffic fatalities using new technology to collect data on traffic in certain areas to make the streets safer for everyone.
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In a post about the Calgary crosswalk on an anti-car subreddit, commenters were livid about the layout of the pedestrian walkway.
"That's a 'crossing'?" one said. "That is not a crossing, those are stripes on a road. No sign, no lights, no blinker, nothing. Jesus."
"Clearly the kids should just get cars," another joked.
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For its part, the Calgary Police Service said it was looking into a plan to install flashing lights at the crosswalk or to increase police patrols of the area.
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