What Are The New White Triangles Painted In Front of Crosswalks on Miller Ave?

What, exactly, are the white triangles recently painted in front of crosswalks along Miller Ave? Chances are, if you’ve noticed them, you’ve correctly assumed they mean you should stop.

Called “shark teeth” they were installed over the summer, along with new yellow pedestrian crossing signs, to encourage drivers to stop further back from the crosswalk and yield to crossing pedestrians.

Jill Barnes, director of public works, said they help reduce accidents when there’s a crosswalk across two lanes moving in the same direction.

“In these instances, the motorist is usually not aware of the crossing pedestrian since the pedestrian is shielded by the yielding vehicle,” she said. But the shark teeth encourage drivers to stop further from the crosswalk, making it easier to see a person crossing.  

Painted between the end of July and early August, they were in place before school started. They’re also a temporary safety measure until permanent improvements for both pedestrians and cyclists can be constructed as part of the Miller Avenue Streetscape Plan, said City Councilor Stephanie Moulton-Peters

“A number of the crossings on Miller are very long, or are partially shaded by trees, making them difficult for pedestrians to use,” she said.

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