Plastic street barriers
Doubtless, these knockdown stick curb bumpouts set up by the city government in some corner streets in Toronto effectively protect pedestrians. These devices are traffic-calming measures to slow down vehicles making a left or right turn onto a road.
These knockdown stick barriers are supposed to protect the city’s pedestrians, but if you look around some of the streets, you can find some knocked-down street barriers that most probably have been hit by vehicles. These knockdown sticks were supposed to stand on whenever hit by cars.
These barriers give pedestrians some elbow room where they can safely stay at the street’s curb before crossing the pedestrian lanes.
With an additional space created by two-foot width on both corners of the road, they allow pedestrians to cross those streets faster.
These knocked-down barriers prove that some drivers need to be more careful to avoid hitting them. Still, at the same time, pedestrians should always be wary that accidents happen despite these barriers.
It’s always up to us pedestrians to be cautious and alert when crossing the streets.
In some busy streets like the corner of Eglinton Ave and Markham road, one can find a crossing guard during rush hours to assist pedestrians, notwithstanding the presence of bumpouts curbs on both sides of the street.
With these plastic barriers, drivers couldn’t care less even if they hit them while turning left or right on these street corners.
One time, my wife and I had this experience while crossing the north side of Markham road going east; one driver overtook the vehicle waiting at the corner of the road and turned right without waiting for us to finish crossing the street.
Had these barriers been made of steel, these drivers would be more careful in maneuvering their vehicles to avoid these barriers. But of course, making these steel barriers will not be popular among drivers, but people’s lives are more important than these vehicles.
While the city government is doing everything to make our streets safe among the city’s residents, these down plastic barriers should give them an idea to make these barriers into steel with some reflector colours.
Always remember, people’s lives are important!