Wow p.g. Can you stoop any lower

I’d laugh if it wasn’t just so pathetic. Why choose to enforce this bylaw yet ignore the dozens that we’d like to see enforced?

I’d leave the sign where it is, after all it’s on private property and tell the city to shove it.

The residents of Prince George had best remember the by-law around election time when Shari Green election signs start popping up on people’s lawns! They must all come down as they pose a serious distraction. Come on City of PG, this sort of pettiness is not what we pay our taxes for.

Too bad that potholes – even huge ones – don’t attract the attention of the city as promptly as a small sign that might actually have a positive effect on safety of children.

Next election, I would say that its a free for all in tearing down election campaign signs. After all those are pathetic to see so many. Don`t forget that the idiot`s making the signage rules are the politicians.

We should all go get a sign from BCAA and stick it to the city.

I agree. I think I`ll order a dozen or two and put them on the Mayor`s lawn.

The bylaw defines a Traffic Control Device as follows: a sign, signal, painted line, meter, marking, space, cone barricade, barrier or any other device, ERECTED OR PLACED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THIS BYLAW for the purpose of warning, guiding, regulating, directing, stopping or parking Traffic

Since the sign is obviously not erected or placed with City Hall prior authorization it is not a traffic control device.

It also does not LOOK LIKE a traffic control device since such signs are placed high on a post so that they are not obstructed by parked cars, as a for instance. I am suggesting that the “looks like” aspect has to go beyond just the part of the sign that is a diamond shaped image of a traffic sign.

In fact, the BC Manual of standard traffic signs and pavement markings published by the MOT&H has uses the SP-3 Playground signs as the provincial standard. It has no words on it. I am sure if it had, it would not use the word “kids”.

In addition, it states that such signs should be placed at 2.1m or greater height above ground.

I think that there is enough there to make a court appearance for a City bylaw infraction interesting and, with the right judge, he/she may send the City back to rewrite the bylaw with more accurate language.

All that being said, I think the question of anyone “playing” in the street (as opposed to adjacent to the street) whether children or adults is an interesting one. In North American cities it is quite common to see hockey nets, basketball hoops, etc. in driveways as well as on the streets. It is a custom, and most drivers will accept that. In fact, I think that the amount of “playing in the streets” has diminished since I was a child playing on inner city streets. The we have skateboards …. A toy for playing or a mode of transportation? As small children, there were several who had trikes and used them on the streets.

So where is bylaws enforcement with that? Is there a bylaw which makes those activities illegal?

Apparently signs intended to alert drivers that children may be present in an area, such as CHILDREN AT PLAY or WATCH FOR CHILDREN, have not been shown to have a discernible benefit to traffic safety but still remain popular with the public. No factual evidence has been presented to document the success of this type of signing in reducing pedestrian accidents, operating speeds or legal liability. Studies have shown that many types of signs attempting to warn of normal conditions in residential areas, or conditions that are not always present, have failed to achieve the desired safety benefits.

So, where is the City Policy on street quietening which gives the streets back to pedestrians? Perhaps residential streets like cul-de-sacs and crescents need reduced speeds to 40kph or even 30kph. There are many such communities throughout the western world.

“We should all go get a sign from BCAA and stick it to the city”

I love that suggestion. Take a hundred or so of us to court and promote it to national newspapers. 250NEWS could lead the way.

This is as ridiculousness as needing permits for a lemonade stand.

I am with you gus. A little civil disobedience goes along way.

Yes, I agree. I’m going to get one and many more for my neighbours. What are they going to do if hundreds of them are scattered around the neighbourhood. I can think of better ways for our bylaw enforcement to be spending their time & stop wasting our taxpayer dollars on this.

As long as the sign is over 9 meters and is very distracting, then its allowed.

What a joke.

The signs are a distraction!????
Everyday I see huge garage sale signs posted all over town and some signs are for garage sales that were held in may!

What about during the election when signs triple the size were drowning out the scenery!?

This homeowner has my support!
Keep the sign up!

blog/view/27858

“We should all go get a sign from BCAA and stick it to the city.”
I think I will go get one today, if they are still available. People race down “my” street all the time. ;)

I suggest they change the sign to say “you hit my kid, you won’t need a lawyer”. That way it can’t be called a traffic control device.

This is absolutely ridiculous!!

We are outside everyday playing with our kids and my husband & I have to stand in the middle of the road to wave down cars to get them to slow down so that they don’t hit our kids when they are bike riding. We have four little kids, and the nearest park is 10 blocks away, and the city says we should not be letting them ride their bikes or play near the street on our RESIDENTIAL street?? This is absolutely appalling.

I am going out today to BCAA and getting as many of these signs as I can get and knocking on the doors of my neighbourhood to get everyone to put them up. I would have done this sooner if I knew these signs were available. I cannot believe how horrible our city has become in regards to valuing car drivers’ rights to speed over our children’s rights to fresh air outside their own front door.

More of our city hard at work. I’ve seen these signs in other places too. It’s a reat initiative from an association and insurance provider to enhance the need for safety for children playing. Si as a 10 year old kid, when I see one of these signs, do I accept that as an invitation to play on the street as opposed to a park? That’s a ridiculous statement by the city.

I would leave the sign up and force the city to take action.

I am going to get a sign and place it on my lawn because I live in B.C. and that says that I can!! Come on people, join me and do the same, please! We have to stick together on this one. Thanks.

Ha! I don’t have kids but there are some on my street, riding bikes to and from each other’s houses. I’ll be picking up a sign or two now as well, hopefully BCAA orders a lot more!

Lots of knee jerk reactions, as to be expected. Gus’s post is the most objective. As he said, this all will probably cause the City to re-write the bylaw with more specific language.

For those who are going to put up signs. Keep in mind that the first couple of metres from the street is City property, and you are not allowed to put signage, or anything else on this portion.

Common sense would tell you that in a residential neibourhood there would be kids playing and people should slow down and drive carefully, however as we all know this does not always happen.

Some people (and schools) put signs in the middle of the road and these signs (although illegal) certainly get your attention.

I highly doubt a bylaw officer went out of their way to target this specific sign. It was probably someones neighbour that complained about it. Complaining is the only way some people feel they can be noticed..

Gus I no where ya can Stick it…..I got ppl on my street tied ths.
they put pylons up with children playing..kids running out from between parked cars,on both sides of the street.
turned it into there own play ground is what they tred to do..THIS is a road way not to be obstructed…

I think the speed limits need to be lower in residential areas without sidewalks.

I keep my kids off the street, and the road is for vehices, but my front yard is for my families enjoyment. period.

If signs are a problem and a portion of the population is too stupid to drive below 60 on residental streets than maybe rotten eggs need to become the new prefered toy.

Gus: “Perhaps residential streets like cul-de-sacs and crescents need reduced speeds to 40kph or even 30kph. There are many such communities throughout the western world.”
I agree with this 100%. 50km/h is too fast for residential streets. People should expect children playing in EVERY residential area and I’m inclined to think that if one is not considerate enough to slow down in a residential area where kids are near(or on the road), a sign isn’t going to help much. Palopu makes an important observation in saying that the first couple of meters adjacent to the street is not your property. (5 meters from street centerline I think) This is city property and though the language may not be as clear as it should be, the bylaw states no signage is to go up there unless permitted by the Traffic (Signing) Authority. The city has no right or power to make anyone take these signs down if they are on private property.
(By the way Palopu, the schools have a permit for those pylons so there not considered to be illegal)

The Bylaw people have time for something like this ,but they look the other way with things like the Motel on Victoria st. with its boarded up windows ,broken windows ,sheets covering the windows, garbage all over the place and now they have extended the fence in the front and the fence looks like it’s on City property.What about Garage sale signs left up for days after the sale?

What would happen if everyone went out and got these signs? My guess is that they would become all too common and thus blend in to thier surroundings and be ignored just as most other traffic signs are now.
(ex. Crosswalk signs, Moose/Dear signs, Keep Right Except to pass signs etc.) This event is more about the City curtailing the placement of non-approved signs ad other stuff going on the boulevards. Being about children, this one really gets the blood boiling though. Good one 250 for the story desiged to get knee jerk reactions. IMHO, streets are for cars first. If your street is quiet and safe enough to play on, so be it, but there is always a chance that some “a” hole will be screaming around the corner at 80 and not have the time to react. And for these people, a sign isn’t going to help.

What is with you JohnnyBelt? Knee jerk reactions? So what if they are? You don’t like people reacting to something that is truly ridiculous? People with these signs are just trying to protect their children from being hit by cars. Pure and simple.

When it come to raising children there are many opinions. They are just that, an opinion.
My grandmother used to say that one does not child proof the home, one home proofs the child.

Some will say, “oh, but what about keeping hazardous substances out of reach?”
Well don’t be silly. Of course one should properly store hazardous materials appropriately.

We cannot monitor and protect our children 24/7/365. As much as we want to keep them safe, it is not possible. We could wrap our children in 3 inch foam and provide guards on all the compass points, and what would be the result? Children with no sense of awareness, no critical thinking skills, and likely a predisposition to extreme sports when they feel their oats.

These over protective parents placing this signage on their property in the misguided hope of protecting their children are actually causing more long term hazards.

These parents need to instill safety awareness and critical thinking in their children.

I am guessing that these signs started with home based child care facilities putting on a show for current and potential clients. It is cheaper to put of a piece of card board or making some cute little traffic hazard in the middle of the road than to erect a proper fence.

I do agree that the city is being twits for this particular action. But this behavior of some citizens taking the law into their own hands (can you say vigilante) is an effort to control others outside of legal recourse.

Our neighbor is notorious for actually running out to the street to slow down excessive speeders driving past their house.

One cannot control the entire environment. Teach your kids to think and don’t give them the sense of entitlement that they just run out into the road.

cheese

Let’s face it, if 99.9% of drivers are careful, that still leaves 1 out of a thousand to hit a kid. If you play the lottery, this would be staggeringly good odds of winning compared to the real odds.

On my last visit to the lower mainland, they have started to offset the residential streets so that every block you either slow down, or run into a concrete barrier – and this is how they got people to slow down.

Where that is not possible, they have put in speed dips – which PG already has plenty of in the form of potholes.

Signs depend on the person reading them being a: able to read, b: able to understand what they read: c: be willing to obey what they read.

Because currently: a: police are few and far between b: even if they catch someone, the punishment is relatively light c: police don’t really like doing traffic and often ignore offences committed in front of them.

So, I kind of agree with Loki, better teach your kids how to survive, because no amount of signage will keep them safe. And maybe we we start building neighborhoods, we structure them with physical impediments for idiot drivers.

That said, I grew up in a world in Surrey where the Stanley cup final was played right in the middle of the street by kids with hockey sticks and tennis balls, and the game was constantly interrupted when someone yelled “car” and we moved the nets. That world is long gone.

Now kids get fat sitting in front of Xbox and fighting terrorists and monsters while their arteries clog up, diabetes sets in, but at least they’ll never get hit by a car.

Emergency doctor said once, I’d rather fix a broken arm, than clogged artery – any day.

I suspect what JB means by knee jerk reactions is all of the “Im gonna go get these signs and put them all over my neighborhood” crowd.
I too will be absolutely amazed if even one of you actually follows through and puts up even one of these signs due to this story.

As a comedian once said: “we dont need school zones to slow people down, we need kids that are smart enough not to walk out in front of a damn car”

“What is with you JohnnyBelt? Knee jerk reactions? So what if they are? You don’t like people reacting to something that is truly ridiculous? People with these signs are just trying to protect their children from being hit by cars. Pure and simple.” .. don’t mind him….he takes pleasure is seeing which way the opinion is swayed and going opposite so he can feel like a real maverick who walks to his own drum. But the observation I have made over time reading his posts is he simply puts profit over people, profit over environment, profit over common sense and thinks all politicians and laws (regardless of how stupid) should be followed without question. Because in his opinion, a negative opinion on anything authority driven or profit driven is a keeejerk reaction and those people simply don’t know what they are talking about.

Good post Loki…

Next PG going to ban…

Christmas lights on homes?

Ban Flowers in yards?

No fancy cars in driveways?

Attractive people must wear parkas while doing yard work?

ALL of these are distractions, maybe if laws like speeding, texting and talking on cell phones people wouldn’t have idiots going down their residential roads at 100km/h. I live 1/2 a block from an elementary school and everyday I see someone doing these things and yet have NEVER seen a cop on patrol. Frick we even have guys racing dirt bikes and quads up and down the street and I’m in town.

Next PG going to ban…

Christmas lights on homes?

Ban Flowers in yards?

No fancy cars in driveways?

Attractive people must wear parkas while doing yard work?

ALL of these are distractions, maybe if laws like speeding, texting and talking on cell phones people wouldn’t have idiots going down their residential roads at 100km/h. I live 1/2 a block from an elementary school and everyday I see someone doing these things and yet have NEVER seen a cop on patrol. Frick we even have guys racing dirt bikes and quads up and down the street and I’m in town.

But: “So what if they are? You don’t like people reacting to something that is truly ridiculous?”

What’s ridiculous is the presence of those signs to begin with. Put them up on every lawn in town and see how (in)effective they are. Interceptor pretty much nailed the point of my post.

But: “he takes pleasure is seeing which way the opinion is swayed and going opposite so he can feel like a real maverick who walks to his own drum.”

But, I would think that you would know by now that I don’t follow the mob or have a mob mentality. Yes, most of the reactions to this have been knee jerk. As I’ve suggested to you before, if you can’t handle someone having a different take on things, I would suggest you stop reading the comment section of this site.

Good posts, loki and ski50.

I have spent some time off and on in the USA recently.

Here are some observations of driving from highway to residential areas in the state of Washington. (I am showing the rounded off metric version.

1.I5 = 110kph with 95 kph for trucks and a very high percentage of drivers keep to the right except to pass. When the interstate goes though a city with several closely spaced turnoffs, the speed limit for all vehicles drops to 95 kph. Those limits are consistent with Ontario, except that the 110 also applies for City freeways.

2.Unless otherwise posted, rural roads are 55 kph, and normally get increased to 70 and 80kph. Most of them have damn narrow shoulders and many have deep ditches immediately adjacent on both sides of the road.

3.In cities, the speed limits are typically 40kph. School zone speed limits are typically only in effect when the signal above the sign is flashing, which is only when children are actually on the way to or from school and recesses. So, no all day affair.

4.There is a large gated community – about 1,000 single family dwellings which has a speed limit of 30kph. It is not because of children as much as it is because there are no sidewalks, the roads are only 24 feet wide, parking occurs on the shoulders and is limited to one spot per house adjacent to the roads, the rest are parked in driveways. The roads are shared with golf carts , adults walking, often with dogs on a leash.

Now for the main point. There are very few Washingtonians who do not obey those rules. 10% over the speed limit is it! No more! Religiously! If someone comes up from behind driving faster on the Interstate, they will move over. There are fines if you do not.

So, with that as an overview, I see the transition of super highway where the motorized vehicle rules the road; no pedestrians, no bicycles, no hitch hiking; to local roads where the vehicle has to share the road with pedestrians, whether walking, on bicycles, young or old.

Let’s face it, when a vehicle hits a pedestrian, the consequences are often severe and become considerably more so with increasing legal speed and even more so with increased speed above the legal speed.

Street quietening has been going on for many decades the world over for the sake of reducing accidents in residential areas and allowing others access to the urban transportation route – cars, local delivery trucks, bicyclists, pedestrians both young and old, including those who “play” such as joggers, dog walkers, groups going for a social walk, kids playing and on bikes, etc.

I think it is time that PG take a look at the realities of what a safer street system looks like.

When I moved into my neighbourhood (1970)we did have a lower speed limit than the rest of the streets. So the City has done it before. I think it was in the mid-80’s that the lower speed signs were taken down.

I see that a neighbour now has a lime green children at play in the shape of a child on the City property. I wonder if they will have to remove that.

Even though you say the streets are for cars and not playing, drivers still must look out for that ball coming out of a yard. And I see nothing wrong with having to slow down when the kids are playing street hockey. By then I am an old grandparent and I remember playing marbles, etc in the dirt alleyways.

this is absolutely the most ridiculous thing I have heard yet – shame on you City Hall, nothing better to do than waste time and money…people race into my cul-de-sac all day everyday and I wish that I had more rocks in my yard for all the speeders that go by… I am sure that a few won’t be back into the neighborhood anytime soon…obviously half of them already missed the sign that stated “dead end street” but still insist that it is a race track…Oh and I totally agree with the over-abundance and totally unnecessary thousands of political signs that get posted everywhere – not only are they an eye-sore but could definitely be considered distractions.

The street is there for me to drive on. A persons yard is there for children to play on.

If you all promise to keep your children from playing in the street I’ll promise to not drive through your yard. :P

How many of you noticed the part about this sign being on a cul-de-sac? I haven’t seen many that you could speed around on but I have seen some that were full of basketball hoops and various toys to the point of being nearly a playground.

There is a sign like the one pictured on a street near my home, the person who put up the sign also likes to sit nearby and take pics of those she thinks are speeding.

The funny thing is that although she is trying to do some good in her own mind, I’ve never seen a kid anywhere near that sign.

It is time though that the city enforces the by-laws we have.

This is the law in Quebec respecting road hockey.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2010/03/23/montreal-street-hockey-fine.html

There appears to be no law in PG regarding playing in the street, certainly not in the so-called Highways Bylaw.

Here is the fine section of the Bylaw.

Any Person who violates any provision of this bylaw, or who permits, suffers, or allows any act or thing to be done in contravention of any provision of this bylaw, or who refuses, omits, or neglects to fulfill, observe, or perform any duty or obligation imposed by this bylaw, commits an offence punishable upon summary conviction, and is subject to a FINE NOT LESS THAN $2,000.00 and not more than $10,000.00, or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 3 months, or both, and in addition may be charged for any resulting damage to the Highway or users thereof.

With a minimum fine that large, I would not be surprised if a judge would decide to find the person guilty, impose a one day imprisonment and suspend the sentence. The law, in my opinion when applied to this situation is a frivolous one.

“It is time though that the city enforces the by-laws we have.”

Agree totally. Sit on Domano at Starbucks and pick up all street racing cars and motorbikes as well as those exceeding the noise portion of this bylaw.

Bradshaw says a sign such as this can be a further distraction for drivers who are driving down a street. He suggests that if residents have concerns over the speeds of drivers on their street, that they record the license number of the offending vehicles, and turn that information over to the police.
Bradshaw failed to mention that if you report the license plate, be prepared to be a witness in court. If you deny, then nothing happens to the driver that was speeding.
I see Mom’s with kids in the car speeding through school zone on Cowart/Simon Fraser all the time. I don’t even have kids and I do the 30km but these Mom’s make me shake my head.

I find these kinds of signs insulting, for two reasons. One, it implies that we’re all bad drivers, with no concern for others. Two, it is a form of abdication of responsibility for your own children. Putting it on the drivers to ensure the child’s safety, instead of teaching your child road safety.

Poolchick: “Bradshaw failed to mention that if you report the license plate, be prepared to be a witness in court. If you deny, then nothing happens to the driver that was speeding.”

I should hope so! It would be pretty scary if you could just report any license plate for speeding (whether they were or not) and they automatically got a ticket with no further investigation or witness statement.

“If you all promise to keep your children from playing in the street I’ll promise to not drive through your yard.”

Actually, when push comes to shove, there is no law prohibiting children from playing on the street, at least no in the bylaw in question, yet there is a law dealing with trespass and liability for damage caused to personal property.

So, you are trying to make an agreement based on false pretenses. :->

I agree that roads are for driving on and kids should play in their yards but we have been freaked out by speeders as we are just walking up the street – I think that we all agree that it should be common sense that drivers need to be more aware of kids playing, kids need to be aware of safety, and the fact of the matter is that City Hall is showing little regard for us trying to better protect our children and ourselves… really what does the sign matter to City Hall… if one person slows down and possibly one child is spared… isn’t that the real concern.

I am appalled at the laws PG is choosing to enforce. I can see how a sign would distract a driver BUT wouldn’t a child playing be more important? Perhaps priorities need to be re-assessed by City Council. Me for one, would rather see you enforcing the SPEED LIMITS rather than a measly sign on private property. We pay enough property taxes that you should not have say in what goes on in our own yard. MAYBE I will plant my chair at the end of my driveway and hold a sign reminding people what the speed limit is….is that illegal too? You don’t enforce bike helmet laws, speed limits, smoking in vehicles with kids in them, noise by laws etc etc etc but a sign on someones lawn….Great job guys! You rock!!!

Just had a knee jerk reaction to the latest JB. Both knees! Darn! Oy gevalt!

I would love to have my children plau in a playground and dont allow my young children to play on the street. However the playgrond that is 100 feet away fom my house in not maintained well at all by the city. I myself have found glass, needles and all other kinds of dangerous items there. I have not once in the 7 years i have lived here see anyone from the city in the park other than to mow the lawn a couple of times a summer. As for the playing in the street as previous commenters have mentioned it is not just when they children are playing on the street it is when we go for a walk as a family and the average speed of vehicles is 50-60kms per hour or faster. It is me worrying about my children playing even in the front yard or on the driveway due to the speed at which some vehicles travel down are street. My home is located in a playground zone where the max speed dawn to dusk is 30km p/h. We have called the police to advise that almost every car travelling down our road is exceeding this speed limit and have had no response. We also back onto the highway where almost every semi uses there jake brake going by our house. As far as i know this is a bylaw as well, i have neve once seen enforced. Sorry for the rant, but this article sums up all that is wrong with our city currently. I realize that someone probably complained about this sign which is why they received this warning. I have complained about the use of engine brakes to bylaw and still have never seen it enforced.

RIDICULOUS !! There really isn’t anything else to say.

RIDICULOUS !! There really isn’t anything else to say.

I so agree with delpieve, it’s not about allowing our children to “play in the street”, it’s about making motorists aware that children are playing and there is a possibility that they may kick a ball into the road and go after it or anything of the sort. It happens!!
So what will your response be when a child gets hit by a car going over the speed limit that wasnt enforced??? “Oooops”?? My child walks across the street to her school and has almost been hit 3 times and not because of her either! The speed limit is 30 km in a school zone yet 60 seems to be the norm around here! It’s time the RCMP deal with proper speed in a residential area, school zones, play grounds and stop worrying about a silly sign!

What is the big deal here? If there are kids living and playing in your neighbourhood, Just call the city and have them install one of these signs.

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=Ld8td_1aZ0ubuM&tbnid=nbZrNVW_SRLrLM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bcroad.org%2Fchildrenatplay.html&ei=89HVUb7lG-GRiALv1IGwBA&psig=AFQjCNGdtlfo8481MISrZ8W94kdPW2PE6w&ust=1373053811484591

But like the link states, the benefits of any sign slowing down traffic is questionable!

So how is a parent suppose to train there kids on how to ride a bike, are we supposed to isolate them in a garage or a carport, the sign is for to warn stupid drivers that really don’t even have a care in the world to at least echnagecthe fact that there might be a little boy or girl learning how to ride a bike yes they may swirve in front of a car but at least the driver can get it in there head that there might be kids around so he can potentially slow down and pay attention.

People: “But like the link states, the benefits of any sign slowing down traffic is questionable!”

Anyone see those electronic speed signs on Ospika and across from Masich Place? They are completely ineffective as far as I can tell.

People in PG are famous for ignoring signs.

Passed the one across from Masich Place day before yesterday! My speed reading: 52 km/h. Two vehicles (both lady driven) passed me at much greater speed! Why do those signs not work? Many PG drivers don’t know that the speed limit throughout the city is 50 (!!!) km/h, unless posted otherwise! They assume that it is 60, so they go 70 and think that they are just a bit over, not enough to get a ticket!

Drive on 5th, 10th, 15th, in fact anywhere at 50km/h. Try it! Everybody will pass!

It is now standard practice.

BTW, a black bear just ambled across Highland Drive!

This is completely ridiculous. The sign isn’t hurting anyone. It’s supposed to make drivers more alert in that area they are driving so a potential accident doesn’t happen. This is necessary, considering how many people speed, especially on residential streets! If this sign is ‘distracting’ to drivers, then they should be removing all the damn billboards, advertisements and giant signs for businesses. How about we DON’T put up 1,000 of those stupid signs during election time? Honestly, this is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen. Every day, I’m ashamed to be apart of humanity because of stupid things like this. There is nothing wrong with warning people that CHILDREN are in the area and to slow down. If I came across the sign, i would treat the area like a school zone and go slow until it was clear. It doesn’t necessarily mean kids are playing in the street.. but it’s very easy for an accident to happen on the street with a child. What is wrong with the sign? Nothing. Ignorant and pathetic sad excuses for human beings, would complain about something so ridiculous such as this.

want: “There is nothing wrong with warning people that CHILDREN are in the area and to slow down.”

Doesn’t this apply to every neighborhood in Prince George? What makes this neighborhood so special?

“If I came across the sign, i would treat the area like a school zone and go slow until it was clear. “

Shouldn’t you be doing this anyway, sign or no sign?

I agree with some things you say Loki, but, I wonder why P.G. is always the only one who does things different than the rest of B.C. I am speaking about the flouride in our drinking water too here. MOST of B.C. has removed it but, not P.G. These things really bug me! I do think that the signs are a good idea, only, if there there are some real speeders on there street….but then, what are the police for….they should be called if that is the case.

Loki, you are right though….kids should NEVER be playing on the road….but are allowed to ride there bikes there and cars have to slow down for that a bit.

i have 2 small children at home and the street i live on the peple drive like idiots im constantly taking pictures of them zooming by kids on my street and had planned on getting one of these signs and now im for sure getting one the city can send me all the letters they like and the responce i plan on giving is ” SHOVE IT ” the city needs to get a grip on whats actually important and not harassing tax paying citizens just trying to protect their kids !!!

These signs are just a reminder that children play in the streets sometimes. Nothing more than that.

If pizza and flowers stores can have a person standing alongside the streets waving signs and wearing funny outfits, why can’t a citizen post a non-offensive sign on their lawn?

Waste of time on the City’s part.

A sign on the lawn will not slow traffic down and cause people to drive better, nor will it replace the watchful eye of a parent.

It comes down to teaching kids how to play safely near roads. All these signs do is give people a false sense of security.

A few things come to mind as I read this story and the comments attached….
1. The City really is hard up for cash if they need to start threatening fines for such a silly offense, LOL.
2. I agree that certainly this sign is no more distracting than all the various other signs around town such as election, garage sale signs, etc.
3. I laugh at the comments from people saying it is the parents job to keep kids off the street. Obviously these people have never had kids, or their kids are a ignorant as they are. As a parent myself I am very strict about road safety! But kids don’t function as us adults do and no matter what you say or do, kids do stupid things sometimes, that is why it is equally the responsiblity of drivers to be keeping an eye out for kids as they would wildlife on the side of a highway or any other hazard….
4. As for all of the ‘knee jerk reactions’ to put up more signs in support of these people, that I would consider a sense of community. People banding together to support one another in the face of stupidity.
Kudos to these people, I hope they stick with it, because in my opinion they have done nothing other than try to remind distracted drivers to pay attention in addition to the road safety rules they have probably already been working on with their kids.
The City should get their head out of you know where, and get their priorities straight!

“It comes down to teaching kids how to play safely near roads”

AND it comes down to understanding that roads at that level of contact with adjacent uses are for integrated use of motorized traffic, pedal power traffic, you people’s traffic, older people’s traffic, baby carriages, seniors with walkers, disabled with motorized chairs, children with skateboards, etc.

In other words, mixed traffic, some of it for the purpose of business and some for pleasure.

THUS, as a person driving an automobile, do so with caution.

SIMPLE!!!

Bornandbred……I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU…you are so right!!!

Maybe we should all start planting different signs on our lawns ….. that do not look like traffic signs …..

“I live here”

“Have a nice day”

“Great road”

“Have you had a conversation yet today?”

“I love signs”

“SSDD”

Or maybe we can put those burning crosses back up that we are so famous for.

“Now those were signs!!!

You might be on to something Gus – I know I slow down EVERYTIME I drive by a burning cross

At first I thought this may have been a case of a rookie bylaw officer making the type of mistake that most people in enforcement do when they first start their job, but then I noted from the article that Dave Bradshaw, Manager of Transportation Operations in the City, seems to be supporting what was done.

What a purely asinine thing to take a stand on.

A couple of other observations:

1) Most residential streets out here in Ottawa have a 40 KM/H limit. If they are 50 KM/H, there is even a process that residents can use to have it lowered to 40 KM/H:

http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/transportation-and-parking/traffic/local-road-40kmh-request

2) One thing that really struck me out here was how residential streets are simply a component of an entire transportation system. There are sidewalks virtually everywhere and there are more trails and pedestrian connectors between roads than you can shake a stick at.

The other really noticeable thing coming from PG, is that residential streets curve and twist all over the place. There are virtually no straight stretches. This really forces the traffic to slow down because you can’t really go much faster than the speed limit without feeling like it’s excessive for the situation. Heck, 30 KM/H feels more appropriate in many cases. The thought and planning that goes into the traffic control systems is very noticeable when you come to a city like this and compare it to one where it’s more or less a “point A to point B” design.

Before this topic shuts its comment opportunities, I thought I would put some planning thoughts in here.

Street patterns are a product of the era in which the land was developed, the input from the city planners through policy, the currency of the local planning consultants, the interests of the developers to create an efficient design which produces more salable land and reduces the amount of services – roads, utilities, etc. as well as the interest of the rarer developer interested in build quality developments unless it is quickly recognized by potential purchasers.

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/publications/en/rh-pr/tech/socio75.html
From the above link:

“Street design contributes significantly to the quality and character of a community since appropriately designed streets create safe, quiet and healthy environments, particularly for children.”

Grid streets, such as the original pattern of the streets from downtown right through to the bypass, requires about 35% of the area for streets whereas grid patterns with internal cul-de-sacs can get as efficient as 24% and achieve much quieter streets at the same time.

So, as I said, the City should be looking into some policies around effective planning for many reasons. But, of course, we have no planners. We also have no Councillors.

We have a dysfunctional City Hall which is into an enforcement mindset because they do not know any better.

Also a good post bornandbread, truth on the flip side