The city is starting work on figuring out whether there's a way to help the visually impaired better determine when they're approaching an intersection.
The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee is overseeing the installation of four trial
surfaces at Victoria and Shuter.
"It is our goal to make pedestrian travel as safe as possible for all residents and visitors to the city—especially for those who are visually impaired," said councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, chair of the committee, in a prepared statement on the subject. "Testing different options at the same intersection will give us an opportunity to perform a side-by-side comparison of the cost, ease of installation, durability and effectiveness of each treatment."
In addition to textured surfaces, the city is experimenting with different colours, looking for high-contrast patterns that will be more easily detectable to people with low vision.
"We're very happy that the city is undertaking this consultation," says Chris McLean, the regional director for the GTA chapter of the
Canadian National Institute for the Blind. "Generally, we feel that tactile walking surface indicators add an extra element of safety for blind and low-vision pedestrians."
Though the city chose Victoria/Shuter intersection because it's already slated for reconstruction at the end of next year, which is when the pilot project is scheduled for completion, McLean figures it's a better location than most, given its proximity to St. Michael's Hospital and its ophthalmological unit.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Chris McLean
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