I'm pretty good at playing, chicken. So good, in fact, that when I was in college, two brothers from a rival fraternity totaled their cars as I maneuvered my TR-4 to victory on a backcountry road in Greensboro, North Carolina. Before that, I dominated in mubly peg.
However, with age comes both the common sense and awareness that something much larger than life is capable, and sometimes ready, to snuff out life at the blink of an eye.
Fast-forward several decades.
Now, instead of being an active participant in the game of chicken, I have found a strange fascination in watching pedestrians, as they dart back and forth across Carlsbad Boulevard at the intersections of Sycamore, Maple, Cherry and Juniper.
With such a scenic backdrop, it's not hard to understand why motorists might be visually distracted and mistake a pedestrian for a hitchhiking seagull. While taking my daily walks along the sidewalk, I've even stopped some pedestrians to ask about their cross-boulevard journey, which always seems to open the proverbial door to a lot of interesting comments and ideas. This gave me something to think about.
There's an interesting product on the market, the SmartStud illuminated crosswalk, and it could very well eliminate "chickens," everywhere. Econolite is an Anaheim-based company that manufacturers and supplies traffic control equipment that is sold worldwide. Several California communities, Costa Mesa, Santa Monica, Walnut Creek, Azusa, have purchased these illuminated crosswalks for a range of between $20,000 – $25,000 (less installation).
According to Econolite's Lori MacIntyre, SmartStud is, "a wireless technology that is unique because it's inductive, installation is very easy and can be solar supported." She advised me to check out their website, www.econolite.com, and I did. It seems very intriguing.
Interestingly, this same type of lighting system was introduced to the Mariana Islands in 1997 and it helped to all but eliminate the late night sport of hit-and-run. Tourists also enjoyed the added safety feature and for good reason.
As a destination marketer, I am always on the watch for new and exciting products that can be talked about and possibly added to the already fabulous lineup of things we offer in Carlsbad. What I find particularly interesting with SmartStud is the protective value this provides for both residents and to our out-of-town guests.
In my opinion this would be a great addition for Carlsbad that's worth checking out.
However, with age comes both the common sense and awareness that something much larger than life is capable, and sometimes ready, to snuff out life at the blink of an eye.
Fast-forward several decades.
Now, instead of being an active participant in the game of chicken, I have found a strange fascination in watching pedestrians, as they dart back and forth across Carlsbad Boulevard at the intersections of Sycamore, Maple, Cherry and Juniper.
With such a scenic backdrop, it's not hard to understand why motorists might be visually distracted and mistake a pedestrian for a hitchhiking seagull. While taking my daily walks along the sidewalk, I've even stopped some pedestrians to ask about their cross-boulevard journey, which always seems to open the proverbial door to a lot of interesting comments and ideas. This gave me something to think about.
There's an interesting product on the market, the SmartStud illuminated crosswalk, and it could very well eliminate "chickens," everywhere. Econolite is an Anaheim-based company that manufacturers and supplies traffic control equipment that is sold worldwide. Several California communities, Costa Mesa, Santa Monica, Walnut Creek, Azusa, have purchased these illuminated crosswalks for a range of between $20,000 – $25,000 (less installation).
According to Econolite's Lori MacIntyre, SmartStud is, "a wireless technology that is unique because it's inductive, installation is very easy and can be solar supported." She advised me to check out their website, www.econolite.com, and I did. It seems very intriguing.
Interestingly, this same type of lighting system was introduced to the Mariana Islands in 1997 and it helped to all but eliminate the late night sport of hit-and-run. Tourists also enjoyed the added safety feature and for good reason.
As a destination marketer, I am always on the watch for new and exciting products that can be talked about and possibly added to the already fabulous lineup of things we offer in Carlsbad. What I find particularly interesting with SmartStud is the protective value this provides for both residents and to our out-of-town guests.
In my opinion this would be a great addition for Carlsbad that's worth checking out.