Although roadside memorials have not reached epic proportions in Grand Forks (as far as I’ve seen), the city council today has approved a plan to formalize the memorial process:
For the [$30] fee, families would see a sign featuring a public service message such as “Please drive safely” or “don’t drink and drive” accompanied by their deceased family member’s name.At least one person objected to the city continuing to allow roadside memorials in the city.“I don’t think people of the city need to be reminded of an accident,” said an email from a resident read by council member Bret Weber.
As a complete streets advocate, I think these types of signs are the best way to remember someone who has died in traffic. Each sign may help one more person to actually think before texting or drinking and driving, or be more vigilant. It’s a far cry from enacting real complete streets legislation to improve safety for all road users, but anything to remind people of the “acceptable losses” we as a nation deal with every day is a good plan in my book.