Rainbow zebra crossing praised
Print Edition
Parents and children walking on a rainbow-like zebra crossing in downtown Shanghai made online headlines yesterday.
The zebra stripes in orange, yellow, green and pink in front of the Lark Kindergarten on Zhizaoju and Xietu roads in Huangpu District have become an Internet sensation.
The vivid colors not only remind drivers to stop or slow down, but have also decorated the downtown street.
The innovative idea came from the traffic authority of Huangpu and was aimed at making the busy crossroad safer for pedestrians, especially children at the kindergarten. It has been welcomed by both pedestrians and motorists.
“The innovative zebra crossing is lovely, beautiful and safe,” said Hong Chuanyan, the kindergarten principal.
Pedestrians said walking on such beautiful stripes gave them a pleasant feeling.
“I think this helps motorists forge awareness of slowing down before zebra crossings,” said a 35-year-old father.
However, some netizens have questioned whether the colorful stripes violated the nation’s Road Safety Law, which stipulates that zebra crossings should be “white parallel stripes” in standard width.
Shanghai’s road transport bureau replied yesterday that the practice should be encouraged and promoted. “The colorful stripes have not changed the standard and function of the zebra crossing, but instead made it more recognizable for motorists,” it explained on its official WeChat account.
“The practice is a good trial for Shanghai to promote its characteristic low-walk traffic,” the bureau added.
The rainbow crossing near the kindergarten can further ensure the safety of children and help create a child-friendly community, it suggested.
Zebra crossings with illumination or colorful and three-dimensional painting have been tested in multiple cities across the nation.
The zebra crossing on Shanghai’s Rushan Road between Dongfang Road and Fushan Road in the Pudong New Area has been repainted with a highly reflective paint. At night, a sign above the crossing reminding motorists to slow down for pedestrians is backlit by lights which also illuminates the crossing below.
In Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, the zebra crossing on a road was repainted with optical illusion to look as if pedestrians are stepping from one white board, floating well above the road, to the next.
The number of traffic accidents in Shanghai has been decreasing for five straight years, thanks to various innovations, such as the repainted zebra crossing.
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