Those who haven’t seen the brightly coloured crosswalk now adorning the St. Anne streetscape have likely heard about it through social media.
The branding project, which includes the median and crosswalk painting as well as metal cutouts being installed on the streetlamps, is anticipated to cost $53,000. The funds were set aside from eight 2015 capital projects under the branding policy, which states that one per cent of eligible capital projects should be directed towards incorporating the city’s brand.
The new piece of public art – intended to enhance the visibility of the crosswalk located directly in front of St. Albert Place and strengthen community identity – received a lot of online attention last week and the reviews were mixed.
While some loved the design and thought it added vibrancy to the downtown, others called it an “eyesore” and questioned whether it was an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.
Others expressed concerns over poor timing, pointing out that the paint had dried just in time to welcome the first snowfall, and about the cost of ongoing maintenance.
On Twitter @AlbertaDoug asked, “Anyone calculate how long before winter’s salt, sand & traffic run into extra costs(?),” while Facebook user Elaine Cloutier commented, “Is this going to keep costing tax payers money forever? Maintenance and all!!!”
In an interview, chief community development officer Gilles Prefontaine clarified that the use of paint is likely temporary.
“Paint was chosen because the committee desired a short-term solution that would give our community a sense of the impact this type of branding would have in the downtown,” he said. “The committee believed that bringing a short-term solution was acceptable as a first step to gauge our community's desire to see more similar branding initiatives throughout the city.”
Prefontaine said that the city would be monitoring the impact of weather and traffic on the painted surface, but that a more permanent solution, such as inlaid thermo plastic, would be considered if the city chooses to stick with the crosswalk design into the future.
This work would be completed in conjunction with the St. Anne repaving and realignment projects planned for next year in an effort to get more efficient costing for residents, said Prefontaine.
There are also plans to reduce the number of crossings in front of St. Albert Place to one larger crosswalk, which ties into the desired traffic calming of the future roundabout at St. Anne Promenade.
The cost to implement inlaid thermoplastic in 2016 has not yet been determined.
On her way to a meeting at St. Albert Place, resident Jamie Thoms said the cost didn’t bother her as long as the new crosswalk design helped to reduce speeds in front of city hall. Often downtown for work, she said speeding on St. Anne Street has become a problem.
“I don’t think people pay enough attention and are more concerned about where they’re going than where they are,” she said.
The design features three iconic landmarks: the grain elevators, the Little White School House and St. Albert Place.
