Thursday, October 12, 2017

Checking out the new lights on O'Connor. . .

I was running down O'Connor this evening and I passed the new "smart bollards" at Waverley. I'd seen in passing that they'd been launched today, but hadn't given it much thought, till suddenly they lit up as I got close to Waverley and flashed as I crossed the intersection.



It was neat to see them. I talked about these with someone from the City at the Winter Bike Parade event last winter, and the idea sounded cool. The bollards, which are provided by a local company called SmartCone, use heat and motion detectors, so they're not triggered by cars, but they are triggered by cyclists, skateboarders, and people in wheelchairs, all of whom use the O'Connor lane. As you approach, they light up and flash, to give drivers that extra alert to your presence, which is probably even more reassuring after dark.

 

2 comments:

  1. I am amazed anyone uses that death trap. I tried it three times, hates each experience, and had two close calls. Bank St. for me, thanks, not an ludicrously expensive bike getto.

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  2. The statistics would indicate you're in the minority, but everyone has a different evaluation of risk. If you like Bank Street, you do you. Personally, I feel far safer on O'Connor, especially during the winter.

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