How much does it cost to slow down drivers in school zones? Somewhere in the five figures, evidently.
The City of Burnaby is considering installing 32 “oversized” school zone signs at local elementary schools, at a cost of $55,000. The proposal comes on the heels of an 18-year program, in which large school zone signs were rotated throughout the city to test their effectiveness and prevent sign fatigue, a term for the oversaturation of signage in one area.
“When people see a new sign, they go, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve got to remember there’s a school zone and slow down,’” said Doug Louie, assistant director of engineering with the city’s traffic and parking departments.
“The theory at that time was, if we relocated the signs, they remain relatively fresh (in drivers’ minds).”
The program proved successful, prompting a report to be received by council at Monday’s meeting calling for the permanent implementation of the signs at all Burnaby elementary schools.
Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, while supportive of the idea, acknowledged it was a “fairly expensive undertaking.” But according to Louie, the high cost is attributed to manufacturing the larger than normal signs (four by eight feet) and their installation.
“We have to put in concrete posts and poles. We might have to put in some of the material to cover the signs (in the summer),” he said.
“The signs aren’t cheap either,” he added, estimating their manufacturing cost at $1,100 each. “We have special reflective material that we need to use, and because of the size of the sign, they’re more difficult to manufacture.”
Mayor Derek Corrigan supported the installation and credited the city for its efforts to combat speeding in school zones and sign fatigue.
“I sympathize with staff in regard to whether or not it does just simply become part of the scenery and that people begin to ignore those signs even though they’re large,” he said, “but I know there’s some comfort to the speed watch volunteers and to the parents at those schools that they’re making it perfectly clear there are kids in the neighbourhood that need to be protected around the schools.
“Under those circumstances, I think it’s worthwhile to make sure that all schools have that type of signage instead of moving them around.”
The signs are to be installed by the beginning of 2015 and will be paid for using existing capital budgets previously approved by council for traffic control devices.
