Third crosswalk opens on West Bay Road
(CNS): In an effort to make the road safer for pedestrians, another crosswalk has appeared on the West Bay Road. Drivers are being asked to exercise caution as they approach the new crosswalk in front of the Westin Hotel. The National Roads Authority opened the crossing at the end of last month, and to reinforce the emphasis on safety, advance signs that indicate a pedestrian crosswalk ahead are located 360 feet on either side of the crosswalk. The crosswalk itself incorporates LED fluorescent yellow signs, and in-road LED lighting that activates when pedestrians press the button to cross the road.
There is also a 24-hour yellow advanced warning beacon to pinpoint to motorists exactly where the crosswalk is located.
Pedestrians using the crossing are reminded to look both ways for traffic and to give vehicles need more time to stop if the road is wet or slippery.
Kurt Tibbetts, the minister with responsibility for roads, urged drivers to pay attention to the signage and encouraged pedestrians to use the crosswalk instead of trying to cross at other parts of the road. “It is important that we all work together to ensure that our roads are safe," Tibbetts added.
The crosswalk is the third to be installed on West Bay Road following the 2010 review on ways to improve pedestrian safety there. The first crosswalk was by the Strand Shopping Centre just before the Ritz Carlton, and the second was by the Camana Bay entrance and Royal Palms.
Category: Local News
If you need "notice" that a cross walk has been installed or "guidance" on how to use it… you should NOT be driving!
job well done , but we have to teach people how to use them ex some pedestrians think that once they press button they can walk. not so, you must wait until the vehicles stopped
Hard to see in daylight. Insane flashing light distraction at night. No delay on button press – slam on brakes or keep going? How much did these things cost us? How much would a normal one have cost?
Not before time.Now we have to get the speed limit down to 25MPH so that the taxi buses(not all)will be forced to slow down.Too many near accidents due to the excessive overtaking in the middle lane.The other thing I notice on ALL these new cross walks is the NON use of the activation button to signal to traffic that there is someone crossing.This is especially lacking at nite and again more lighting is needed in these areas.Also a sign reminding people to USE the activation button MUST be added for pedestrians own safety as I have seen many just cross without even looking.I am all for as many improvments as possible to make sure that our people and especially our visitors are safe.
It is nice to see proper crosswalks on West Bay rd. What we need is some consistency. It seems we two types the NRA ones and the Dart ones. with the red section. is there a reason that they can not be all the same? It will be confusing to many North Americans visitors that is is not a red yellow stop. But if they are all the same they should be able to figure it out.
The other issue is the speed limit. We now have the Dart super speedway so there is no excuse for the speed limit on WB Rd. to remain at 40 mph. There has been talk ever since the first section of the bypass was opened of lowering it to something reasonable. Now is the time to do so. It will save lives. There is no reason to leave it at 40 mph it should be no more than 30 preferably 25.
about time
Excellent, now if we could only teach people how to drive, this place could be paradise.
The speed limit needs to be reduced to 30 mph!!!! In South Sound the traffic/pedestrians is/are not as heavy as the West Bay road and the speed limit is 30 mph!
Why couldn't they use the traditional red, green and amber lights?
I think it is great that we are getting more crosswalks but I think the one at the Strand is too close to the entrance of the Strand considering the turning lane. Also, how come they aren't being painted with white stripes? I think that may be confusing some people and I thought part of the definition in the driving test was they would striped?
NRA, how about some advance notice? At least a week notice would be appreciated. This also applies to the new crossing bythe old library in Town which appeared over a weekend.
Whilst I welcome the addition of these official crossings it is disappointing that a) the system implemented doesn't seem to follow any precedent from either the UK or the US, and b) no clear guidance has been issued for motorists on how to use them.
For example, if a pedestrian activates the crossing when you are close to it (the lights seem to activate instantly rather that after a short delay) is the driver committing an offence if they cross it believing they couldn't stop safetly in time? OR, once a pedestrian has finished crossing and the crossing is clear, is it permissable for drivers to then proceed, or must they wait for the lights to stop flashing?
Good ideas still have to be implemented inteligently.
Its an amber light and therefore means caution. And if the pedestrian has obviously already crossed, the motorist can proceed.
To the powers that be, please place one in front of the St.Matthew's Residence Hall before one of the students get killed trying to cross the road.
Do we really need the Minister's quote here? Common sense …
Why are these new pedestrian crossings not painted with white or yellow stripes are per the C.I. Road Code/Traffic Regulations ?? Are these crossings actually Gazetted ??
Many pedestrians "are not" using the buttons to cross and simply walk out in the middle of the road and someone is going to get hurt, sooner or later. Drivers are accustom to seeing white or yellow stripes on Cayman roads where crossings are, this is the case – the world over.
The crossing outside the Government building on Elgin Avenue is raised, striped and with a red light…funny that such safety measures are not introduced for West Bay Road!
I'm very pleased to see crossings being added, but the sentence reminding pedestrians to give traffic time to stop – that needs to be on a sign at the crossing itself. I have already seen quite a few press the button and march straight out. I am already stopping when i see you before you press the button, but ifat 40 mph, physics dictates any vehicles need a fair bit of time and distance to stop – even the rare few here that are actually paying attention, and not to mention all the tailgaters who will just rear end you if you do have to come to a stop sharply when someone inevitably does walk straight out. These types of crossings are fine in slow traffic areas (same as at airport drop off roads in the us like Miami which are slow traffic and they do get people across quickly, but im not so sure about them on a main road with a 40 mph or even 30mph limit when it comes in. I must say, the number of people that still stand at the side of the road within 20 yards of the crossings trying to cross the roads is baffling. I guess people are just lazy. The newest one at the Westin seems to be the worst for that. Anyway, it is a good step forward, Credit where it is due, i just hope people do pay attention and someone does not get hurt.
Teaching the public, both motorist and pedestrian, the correct way to use them would be a start. Are they even in the Highway Code used here? Anyway, judging by the standard of our official driving instructors there is no hope anyway; I followed one learner driver out of the DVL premises today, with an instructor, onto the bypass and towards the airport and not once in 3 stop/give way/roundabout situations did I see an indicator being used. Shocking instruction.
How much did these crossings cost us?
But since there is no Red STOP light, is it compulsory to actually stop, as I've seen a few scumbags just drive through it or overtake (!!!) a line of cars that have stopped? Can they be prosecuted (they should, but what is the Law on this)?
Where to start…
Good effort but:
Finish the job and paint the zebra stripes now. It is pretty much the international symbol that visiting drivers will understand.
Move the Rotary bus shelter in the red zone at Royal Palms, make the zones approching the crosswalks no stopping. Yes, buses stop IN the crosswalk at The Strand as well!
Put some SERIOUS speed bumps in the turning lanes approaching the crossings.
Hand out some tickets to folks that do not stop for people crossing, tickets to buses and taxis that stop in the zone, and tickets to folks that speed or pass in these zones.
And while you are at… How about making some easy revenue and start handing out tickets to cars with illegal window tints and blackout licence covers. You dont even have to confront a driver to accomplish this, any walk through a parking lot should net a few thousand dollars in fines.
And lastly, next time someone decides to install a crossing, take five minutes and actually go and check the behavior of the pedestrians. The Palms location is the best of the three. I doubt even half the folks crossing the road from the Westin will actually use the new crossing.
All excellent points. Although I think with the flashing lights its pretty obvious.
Agree on the blackouted license plates. The whole purpose of plates is for identification, and the blackout obscures the numbers. I think the idiots (yes, strong word) who put these on their vehicles think they are 'cool' or something, but they are just copycat imbeciles who think they are tough but implying they are thugs.
Finally……….photoradar. I know in my home city in Canada these are highly effective. Photoradar takes a picture of your speeding car, records the actual speed, and sends the registered owner a ticket.
Someone is going to die as a result of the homemade pedestrian crossing by the Marriott. You heard it here first.
I understand that is the next section to have a crosswalk installed. Those little placards they have put up are better than nothing for now.
CNS: do you know what is causing the delay of the opening of the rest of the Harquail Bypass in West Bay. Would Dart's recent court case on the closing of the portion of the West Road have anything to do with it? Is he holding us hostage while he fights the West Bay Ladies?
"Holding us hostage"? Dart has paid for the building of those roads and contribution of various parcels of land to enable completion. This was is exchange for the government providing certain parcels of land and gazetting the road closure. The government hasnt yet lived up to its end of the contract, so why should we feel entitled to use the roads that Dart spent millions on?
Government has refused to accept the road and gazette it pending the outcome of their negotiations with Dart. So no.
Government has refused to accept the road and gazette it pending the outcome of their negotiations with Dart. So no.