Editor, The News:
B.C is a beautiful place, but I think we put up with unnecessary and annoying problems because we aren’t aware that there are better alternatives in use elsewhere.
B.C.’s roads are a prime example of this, and if safety is the priority, I wish I was in charge of them so I could make these changes.
Anyone who has travelled to Ontario will realize that the paint used for the lines on our B.C. roads is significantly inferior. In Ontario, the lines are vivid and obvious, no matter the weather.
In B.C., a little rain on an overcast evening and the lines blend into the pavement.
If traffic patterns have changed, the lines become indistinguishable from the original blacked out lines. How many accidents occurred because it was difficult to tell lanes apart?
Many intersections that need it are missing left-turn signals, or even a dedicated left-turn lane. Several intersections in Coquitlam and White Rock only give left-turn signals during rush hour, regardless how long the line-ups to turn left are.
There is also a disturbing lack of consistency regarding reflectors along concrete mediums. Mission, Ladner, and the Barnet Highway in Coquitlam have long yellow reflectors on their concrete mediums.
However, reflectors are minimal or absent along the concrete medians on the Lougheed Highway in Pitt Meadows, or the Haney Bypass in Maple Ridge.
When it is raining at night, it is difficult to see the concrete median in both locations.
Why spend so much money on bicycle lanes when you rarely see a cyclist using them in Maple Ridge?
This money should be used for yellow paint around traffic islands to stop them blending in with the pavement. We have an aging population, and more effort needs to be made to make obstacles more visible.
Susan Glenister
Maple Ridge