Some changes are coming to marked pedestrian crosswalks, or more specifically the spaces around them, in the city of Humboldt. At Monday’s City Council meeting, Council voted to amend a traffic bylaw to provide for 15 metre parking setbacks from marked crossings and to ensure required signage. 

The bylaw amendment states, “No person shall park a vehicle within a minimum of 15m on each approach to a crosswalk marking, and a minimum of 10 m following the crosswalk marking. This restriction applies to through-roads only that do not have stop control devices.”

The bylaw would allow for compliance with Transport Association of Canada (TAC) Pedestrian Crossing Control Guidelines.

The idea of the setback bylaw is to allow greater visibility by motorists when it comes to pedestrians, and it allows pedestrians to better see approaching traffic without obstructions. The projected cost ranges from $200 - $1000 per designated intersection for the cost of signs, posts and additional paint. The money would come from the public works annual operating budget.

A complete list of intersections designated for improvement is available in the Council Regular Meetings Minutes on humboldt.ca.