Share the Road Signage Staff Report
Report researching the effectiveness of 'Share the Road' and 'Watch for Pedestrians' signage in neighbouring municipalities.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE REPORT
TO: Committee of the Whole DATE: November 29, 2016 FROM: Jennifer Smith, Engineering Clerk MEETING DATE: January 10, 2017
Share the Road Signage
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the Committee receive the January 10, 2017 Share the Road Signage Report for information.
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S COMMENTS:
I concur with the recommendation.
PURPOSE OF REPORT:
To provide the Committee with information regarding Share the Road signage.
BACKGROUND:
Council requested engineering staff provide information on Share the Road signage for discussion. There are two options for consideration:
PROJECT INFORMATION:
The “Share the Road” message initially appears to be a positive one of cooperation, but upon closer examination it is apparent that the message can be detrimentally unclear.
In the United States, studies have been conducted with the results indicating Share the Road signage is ambiguous, imprecise and frequently misinterpreted. The problem with Share the Road signs is that they don’t explain what your behavior is supposed to be. These signs can be interpreted in diametrically opposite ways causing conflict and hostility. Both Delaware and Oregon have begun to phase out the signs as they had received feedback that the signs were confusing – who is responsible for sharing the road: the motorist or the bicyclist/pedestrian?
After polling the neighbouring municipalities of Victoria, Esquimalt, Saanich, Colwood, and Langford the responses received that if the Share the Road signs were used, it was for bicycles. No pedestrian Share the Road signs were confirmed. Feedback on the signs included the following comments for consideration:
- in general we are moving away from that type of signage with the philosophy that any road without dedicated amenities is a shared road
- they are better than nothing for when a bike lane ends
- they are not an active strategy that we are using
- we don’t use
While the Watch for Pedestrians signage is not as ambiguous as the Share the Road sign, it should be noted the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) for Canada, published by the Transportation Association of Canada says, “The overuse of warning signs may promote disrespect for traffic control devices, and the use of such signs should be kept to a minimum”.
BUDGET IMPLICATIONS:
It is estimated that approximately 50 signs would be required throughout View Royal at an approximate cost of $300/sign - $15,000.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the Committee receive the December 13, 2016 Share the Road Signage Report for information.
SUBMITTED BY: Jennifer Smith, Engineering Clerk
REVIEWED BY: John Rosenberg, Director of Engineering
