5 July 2013

New flashing street sign on Barry Drive

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Shane Rattenbury today “welcomed the installation of a new type of pedestrian safety sign on Barry Drive.”

How do you welcome the installation of a sign? Why would you bother? Never mind moving on.

Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Shane Rattenbury, today welcomed the installation of a new type of pedestrian safety sign on Barry Drive.

“A new flashing sign has been added to the intersection of Barry Drive and Kingsley Street to enhance road safety for pedestrians,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“To complement the ‘green man’ walking symbol that faces pedestrians, the flashing sign willface vehicle traffic turning right from Kingsley Street onto Barry Drive which says ‘GIVE WAY TO PEDS.’

“The flashing light will become operational over the weekend and will operate whenever the pedestrian crossing signal has been activated. It aims to remind motorists that they must give way to pedestrians who are crossing the road into which the driver is turning.

“While this type of sign is used elsewhere in Australia such as Melbourne and Adelaide, this is the first time it will be used in the ACT.

While I am totally pro-flashing signs, I can’t help but wonder if people who were too dumb to understand this fact before may still be too dumb to understand despite there being a flashing sign.

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TP 3000 said :

Aeek said :

And if someone runs into a cyclist because they are not a “Ped”? Note the green bike crossing light in the photo, no requirement to dismount here.

Someone in TAMS must of read this, the bicycle crossing light was gone by this afternoon.

have. Someone at TAMS must have read this.

p1 said :

Why would peds be on the road? Landslip?

I was in a bus coming in from Belco on a bus lane one morning, about 100 metres ahead i saw a person walking in the middle of the bus lane, towards Civic. the bus driver honked the horn and the pedestrian simultaneously jumped ten feet in the air and shat himself. At least thats what it looked like from where i was standing.

Why would peds be on the road? Landslip?

Aeek said :

I find the painted “Give Way to Pedestrians” signs bad enough.

Its as if we cannot expect licenced drivers to be competent to drive.

And if someone runs into a cyclist because they are not a “Ped”? Note the green bike crossing light in the photo, no requirement to dismount here.

It’s a criminal assault to deliberately run into a pedestrian or a cyclist (or anyone else!).
The difference here is that a turning driver who turns across the path of a pedestrian on this crossing is breaking the road rules, but one who turns across the path of a cyclist on the crossing is NOT breaking the road rules.

Unfortunately Canberra’s cycling lobby seems to be more interested in expensive projects for lycra cyclists – like the City Cycle Loop and the Majura Road Cycleway – than in fixing up the road rules.

Urban Dictionary also says

peds: performance enhancing drugs

peds: pedestrians who are in your way

But for mine it’s just all manner of wrong,well done Mayor Ratten!

I actually saw an idiot blast his horn and arc up at a pedestrian crossing with the green man turning from Coyong street onto Lonsdale street. The pedestrian stopped and pointed at the green man. Seems like a good idea, plenty of drivers are totally in their own world and think green means go no matter what.

wildturkeycanoe5:49 am 06 Jul 13

According to the online urban dictionary – http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=peds – they are “A kid who likes to listen to Pink Floyd and experiment with drugs. There is always at least one Peds per school. Look for them typically driving an old-school car like a Trans Am.”
Could be a few of these around the Uni I guess.

So I give it a month before some enterprising students from the IT or engineering areas change it to read “pesos”

And about the same time for some students to nick it for Bush Week.

Better of spending the money on a road safety course at ANU for the students, a lot of idiots try to get themselves run down.

Aeek said :

And if someone runs into a cyclist because they are not a “Ped”? Note the green bike crossing light in the photo, no requirement to dismount here.

Someone in TAMS must of read this, the bicycle crossing light was gone by this afternoon.

I’m always ok with being alerted to a particular danger. If peds are getting mowed down maybe they aren’t visible until too late for some reason. It’s a stupid sign but it’s nothing to complain about.

Does anyone else feel a temptation to bedazzle “GIVE WAY TO PEDS” on a black t-shirt? It really is a very stupid sign.

Never ceases to amaze me how angry and cynical you guys are. I like the sign. I’ve had drivers turn dangerously near me when I’m crossing at pedestrian lights, because they seem to forget that you have to check for pedestrians when you’re turning. And heaps of drivers do dangerous stuff when I’m on a bike. The sign’s good. For safety. Geez.

**shakes head and sighs**

Do these idiots ever proof read signs ? Surely they could find a better word than ‘peds’.

La_Tour_Maubourg5:57 pm 05 Jul 13

So a new street sign makes the news. What an interesting city!
Looks more sturdy than the cheap-appearance flimsy electronic pedestrian crossing signs at Canberra Hospital

Instant Mash4:18 pm 05 Jul 13

One can only wonder how distracting that’ll become.

In defence of something along these lines, as a frequent pedestrian and cyclist its quite common for cars to turn corners straight into/through pedestrians, particularly later in the cycle when the waiting bunch of peds (hey, why not use it) have gone across and its just singletons.

Overseas lots of places have flashing arrows to warn drivers that there are pedestrians around the corner.

I always enjoy how drivers get all worked up at being told that they need reminding not be act like idiots given that, well, a large percentage of drivers act like idiots. It might only be 10%, and not you guys (after all, no one who reads this site could be anything but in the top few percent of everything)

Another way to waste our money. It’s neck and neck between Barr and Rattenbury in who can spend most money most foolishly – if it flashes and makes a noise it must be good seems to be their joint motto.

NellyBean said :

What’s wrong with Pediatrists?

I don’t know, give us a clue….

Holden Caulfield2:19 pm 05 Jul 13

Heavs said :

Clearly an Essendon fan.

What a peculiar post.

So they’ve installed a flashing driver distraction to take our attention away from who/what may be crossing the street in front of us. Clap clap.
As has already been said, if you don’t know who to give way to at the intersection, maybe you should become one of the ‘peds’ needing protection.

Aeek said :

I find the painted “Give Way to Pedestrians” signs bad enough.

Its as if we cannot expect licenced drivers to be competent to drive.

And if someone runs into a cyclist because they are not a “Ped”? Note the green bike crossing light in the photo, no requirement to dismount here.

It clearly stand for pedals.

Rollersk8r said :

Brilliant – along with the new 40 zones in Civic – it’s like Rattenbury is Homer in that Simpsons episode where he plasters Springfield with warnings signs for every last tiny little issue he can find. #nannystate

*warning

Brilliant – along with the new 40 zones in Civic – it’s like Rattenbury is Homer in that Simpsons episode where he plasters Springfield with warnings signs for every last tiny little issue he can find. #nannystate

Aeek said :

I find the painted “Give Way to Pedestrians” signs bad enough.

Its as if we cannot expect licenced drivers to be competent to drive.

And if someone runs into a cyclist because they are not a “Ped”? Note the green bike crossing light in the photo, no requirement to dismount here.

You’re right!

It should say “give way to peds and bis”.

Madam Cholet1:11 pm 05 Jul 13

Give way to pedants?

I find the painted “Give Way to Pedestrians” signs bad enough.

Its as if we cannot expect licenced drivers to be competent to drive.

And if someone runs into a cyclist because they are not a “Ped”? Note the green bike crossing light in the photo, no requirement to dismount here.

peterh said :

dtc said :

Not sure I want to be a ‘ped’. Sounds quite similar to slang for not so nice types.

and would you want to give way to those types or mow them down?

What’s wrong with Pediatrists?

dtc said :

Not sure I want to be a ‘ped’. Sounds quite similar to slang for not so nice types.

You beat me to it. I doubt anyone in their right mind would give way to pedophiles.

dtc said :

Not sure I want to be a ‘ped’. Sounds quite similar to slang for not so nice types.

and would you want to give way to those types or mow them down?

That should do the trick. Now people will stop intentionally running into peds.

Not sure I want to be a ‘ped’. Sounds quite similar to slang for not so nice types.

Clearly an Essendon fan.

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