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New blinking stop signs stand out in Oak Bay

ICBC chipped in for cost of solar powered signs
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The new blinking stop signs are designed to promote road safety. ICBC chipped in for about a third of their costs. (Travis Paterson/News Staff)

There’s a new sign in town. Actually, there are two of them.

Oak Bay residents will have noticed new flashing red stop signs at the intersection of Hampshire Road and Oak Bay Avenue as at Cadboro Bay and Beach Drive.

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The solar powered lights blink in a pattern and the light itself is self-powered and mobile.

They cost $2,400 each for a total of $4,800 less an ICBC contribution of $2,600.

“Oak Bay will shift the locations of the stop signs on a regular basis going forward,” said Daniel Horan, Director of Engineering Services. “The idea was to create an adaptable traffic calming measure that we could put in place either to have a direct short term impact on driver behaviour, or to study the impact of traffic calming on specific intersections that are slated for improvements in the near future,” he said.

Oak Bay has also purchased two radar-activated strobe light kits for speed limit signs for about $1,250 each for an additional 2,500 total. The total number is $7,300.

“[They are] moveable, adaptable speed limit flashing indicators, which we have not received yet,” Horan said.

During Oak Bay’s annual road improvements discussion with ICBC, they floated the concept of purchasing these moveable and solar-power stop signs. That’s when ICBC agreed to chip in some of the funding.

Editors note: This story has been updated with previously unreleased information from the District of Oak Bay regarding the distribution of the $7,300. We apologize for any confusion.

READ ALSO: Car blows stop sign in Oak Bay (video)

reporter@oakbaynews.com


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