The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
July 10, 2007
YELLOW IS THE NEW GREEN
We aren't colour blind, but we learned a very valuable lesson over the long weekend.
It happened at what we thought was a clearly marked intersection. We're talking about the pedestrian-controlled crossing signal over Highway 3 at the intersection with Vermilion Avenue, or Burton Avenue depending on which way you are approaching the intersection.
Our story goes like this: we were walking along the frontage road along Highway 3 that runs from Dairy Queen towards the intersection.
Traffic whizzed by us in the regular tourist traffic way awfully fast. Before we got to the intersection we watched a young couple stranded on one of the small islands with the pole the pedestrian-controlled button is on. They had activated it and watched vehicles of all shape and size continue to barrel through the intersection as if the crossing light were invisible.
Then it occurred to us, all drivers traveling at 80 kilometres per hour see flashing yellow lights as just a warning signal not a stop signal.
Think about it. How many times have you come up on flashing yellow lights on the highway in your travels? Usually it's on a highways vehicle or a service vehicle of some kind. Are you obliged to stop as you approach these vehicles? Usually not, unless someone flags you to stop.
This is the problem with the pedestrian-controlled light at Vermiliburton Avenue. Had the Ministry of Highways and Good Intentions actually spent the extra $5.99 on red lenses, we'd actually see traffic stop when someone tries to use the crossing. At the moment, the flashing yellow lights are nothing more than wannabe greens.
So we figure the best thing to do is suggest Highways Minister Kevin Falcon take the silly structure back. Surely it would be more useful on the Sea To Sky Highway than where it sits on the corner of Highway 3 and Vermiliburton Avenue.
We aren't even going to suggest that nothing will happen until someone gets killed crossing the highway, as we doubt too many locals are dumb enough to chance it. Although, for the sake of science, we did. Our finding is conclusive. In 100 percent of the times you use the intersection, no one slows down or stops until you are standing in their lane. We did not want to try it more than once although the near miss did get our heart pumping a little faster than the walk to get to the intersection so we could also say crossing the highway there is a good cardio workout but we don't recommend it becoming part of your fitness routine.
We are suggesting you remind your local elected officials to make some noise about the stupid excuse for a controlled crossing. And keep reminding them until something is done about it.
We can't even fault drivers as there isn't even a sign half a kilometre on either side warning that you're approaching a controlled intersection. The Ministry of Highway Signs probably couldn't fit that expense into their budget.
What was our lesson?
Yellow is the new green.
Thanks, Kevin. You just about fooled us.
