Is it a gentle reminder or an indicator of a larger problem? A sandwich-board traffic sign placed at a Calgary intersection is stirring debate over right turns at red lights.
If you look closely, you’ll see it. Tucked away at the intersection of Calgary’s 17 Avenue and Richmond Road SW is a city sign that reads, ‘Can I turn right?’
The sign outlines three different scenarios: a green light, a red light, and a flashing red arrow, and an explanation of each that lets people know whether or not they can make a right turn.
That sign supplements an already existing sign posted on the traffic lights at the intersection that is also designed to outline when people cannot turn right.
“Originally, neither of them existed,” says one Calgarian. “None of it’s helped.”
The sign has prompted some online to ask why it’s specific to this location.
One comment on Reddit reads, “If signs are needed to explain signs, the signs need to be redesigned.”
Another suggests a refresher may be needed for motorists.
“If the city needs to put these signs up, the province needs to implement mandatory re-testing every five years and abolish privatized registries.”
In a statement to CityNews, the city says the sign at that specific intersection is aimed at balancing safety and traffic flow.
“Several versions of signage have been tested, and the city has been monitoring compliance,” reads the statement. “Data collected to date indicates that this sign has been effective.”