Quote:
Originally Posted by rayne008
City Press Release
.......
Media availability – Pedestrian safety on Memorial Drive
March 29, 2012 11:30 AM Category: Police, Public Safety
The Calgary Police Service and The City of Calgary would like to clarify the traffic safety rules around pedestrians crossing at Memorial Drive and 8 Street N.W.
There is no marked or implied crosswalk at this intersection. Therefore, neither the Traffic Safety Act, nor The City of Calgary’s bylaws, allow for pedestrians to cross at this T-intersection.
This is not a safe place to cross the busy thoroughfare of Memorial Drive, and pedestrians are urged to use the alternate crossings at 7 Street N.W. or 10 Street N.W.
Traffic safety is a shared responsibility between drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.
Cst. Jim Lebedeff of the CPS Traffic Education Unit and Gord Elenko, Manager of Traffic Engineering with The City of Calgary, will be available to speak to the media at 2 p.m. today, Thursday, March 29, 2012, at the north end of the Peace Bridge. |
Ok, for kicks I've gone through both of the laws mentioned (yes I have no life). The more I read the more convinced I become that there is really no clear legal language that explicitly prohibits pedestrian crossing at these intersections.
All it says is that a "T" intersection is not a crosswalk, because there is no joining set of sidewalks across from one another. This means that pedestrians do not have the right of way over vehicles.
However if you yield to traffic, and comply with the city Bylaw (>= 1 block from nearest crosswalk), nothing in these laws prevent you from crossing, provided you do not obstruct traffic or stop in the middle of the roadway.
Conversly, if a motorist incorrectly yields to a pedestrian who is waiting by the side of the road, that motorist could concievably be fined for obstructing traffic.
The specific links I looked at were:
http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/T06.pdf
http://canlii.ca/en/ab/laws/regu/alt...-304-2002.html
and
http://www.calgary.ca/CA/city-clerks...96-Traffic.pdf
I do believe the City is trying to act on the side of public safety, but I suspect they may be leading people to come to conclusions about the law that may not be accurate.