White Rock council voted March 8 to rename Marine Lane – the laneway stretching behind Marine Drive, between Martin and Finlay Streets – ‘Cosmic Alley.’ (Aaron Hinks photo)

LETTERS: White Rock’s ‘Cosmic Alley’ signs a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have

Budget would be better spent making traffic signs more visible to drivers

Editor:

Re: City pays tribute to ‘Cosmic Alley,’ March 18

These whimsical signs for Cosmic Alley are being paid for with taxpayers’ dollars. Have any members of council actually walked ‘Cosmic Alley’ recently? Because I have.

A few points: a handful of houses already give a nod to Cosmic Alley with a sign on their home. Also, there are very few of the original beach homes left. Always nice to see where any part of that proposed 4.28 per cent property-tax increase is going.

If the city is so desperate to blow through their budget to justify a bigger one next year, maybe give some thought to putting more real street signage around town. There is nothing like coming to an intersection and not knowing the cross street because there is one well-hidden sign on one corner telling you it is Balsam (for example).

The real fun starts when you are driving behind someone who does not know where they are going and they come to a full stop (despite no stop sign) at every single intersection, looking for a cross-street name. Maybe put some money into that, instead of a trip down memory lane. Those cute signs are a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have. Intersections with proper signage are 100 percent need-to-have.

Karilin Hahn, White Rock

Peace Arch News