The Story Behind
Bainbridge Shares the Road
Above is our current sign, which is now posted by the City of Bainbridge Island at several locations on Bainbridge. This sign was developed by the Outreach Subcommittee of the City of Bainbridge Island’s Non-Motorized Transportation Advisory Committee.
The same group of people, plus others, have developed this new not-for-profit organization, Bainbridge Shares the Road, which created this website, bainbridgesharestheroad.org/. This organization is independent of COBI in order to do some things which can not be done as part of the City. For example, it is possible to have online discussions without being endorsed as an official position of the City. It also allows work to be done without requiring City staff time.
By the way, if you would like to go to the Official Website for the City of Bainbridge Island, here’s a link:
The NMTAC borrowed from a common message, “Share the Road,” but modified the wording to say SHARES the Road. We felt the signs should celebrate the culture we already have on Bainbridge of courtesy and watching out for one another’s safety. We felt the signs were best used as a cue or reminder, rather than a directive. Sharing is already the norm on Bainbridge.
The first version of the sign looked like this:
The design was developed by Julie Bayer, a graphic artist who worked with Mark Epstein, then Chair of the NMTAC. She accepted only about $30. for two hours of work. We are indebted to her for this basic design, including the bright green background so many say they enjoy. The logos were taken from standard graphics used with road signs for many years.
As part of an initial educational campaign, the NMTAC had a couple batches of t-shirts made which were distributed to folks who were pleased to wear the message. Here’s a photo of Mayor Darlene Kordonowy with her t-shirt.
A second iteration of design came out of the suggestion by Dr. Susan Kinne, faculty with the School of Public Health at the University of Washington that we consider including a logo symbolizing attention to the safety of people with vision, movement, and other limitations. Lois Caswell, a volunteer with the Kitsap DASH (Disability Awareness Surveillance Health Project) with a graphic arts background, kindly agreed to work on developing an appropriate logo.
We found there were no logos which fit to simply incorporate. We did not feel the international handicapped logo fit the active transportation theme of the signs. We did like the suggestion of Karen Braitmayer of the Northwest Universal Design Coalition to look at a symbol used by Recreational Equipment Incorporated which showed a figure using a wheelchair with arms back, suggesting self propulsion.
Ultimately, Lois went to a meeting attended by people using wheelchairs and made some drawings which she could use to create a realistic appearing figure using a wheelchair.
In connection with the design of the figure of the person using a wheelchair, we should recognize that only a percentage of people who have a disability use a manual wheelchair. One in five people has a disability. Many with disabilities do not use any mobility device. Those who do may be using canes, white canes, walkers, motorized scooters, motorized wheelchairs, or other devices. This figure is a reminder to be mindful about those of us who have a variety of apparent or hidden disabilities.
Notice how that came out in this photo of Lois posing with our first sign with the new design.
Here’s an enlargement of the logo for a person using a wheelchair:
While we were at it, we decided to make some other aspects of the sign more realistic. Notice that there is now a person riding the bicycle. What’s more, Lois created a design with the bicyclist wearing not only a helmet, but a modern one at that. She used photos of cyclists to create that design.
And then, notice the equestrian. Lois used a photo of a local equestrian to create a figure wearing a modern helmet. First, the local equestrian photo.
Now notice the realistic helmet on the equestrian figure. The grin was a challenge to capture, but we think it’s in there somewhere.
Ok, we should also point out something about the motor vehicle. We thought we might as well show the transportation efficiency of having more than one person in the vehicle.
The one figure we did not modify was the pedestrian.
In recent weeks a dozen Bainbridge Shares the Road signs have been installed at some more visible key locations, primarily where one leaves State Route 305. Victor Cienega and Jason Roger of the COBI Public Works sign shop were kind enough to let the roving photographer document their thoughtful siting and installation of the signs.
We hope you enjoy the story behind the Bainbridge Shares the Road sign. Those of us involved in creation of the sign are delighted with the comments we’ve received about their positive message reflecting community values.
