×

News

Hiroshima erects signs urging cyclists to walk their bikes near the A-bomb Dome

by Uzaemonnaotsuka Tokai, Staff Writer

The City of Hiroshima has set up signs at four locations around the A-bomb Dome in downtown Hiroshima. These signs call on cyclists to walk their bicycles in this area. In response to complaints from tourists and volunteer guides, the city is seeking the cooperation of its citizens to prevent accidents.

Each sign, 45 centimeters in length and width, features a blue and white design of a person walking a bicycle. Last month, the city erected the signs at two locations on the north side of the A-bomb Dome along Aioi Street, at one location east of the dome and at one location south of the dome near Motoyasu Bridge. The signs bear the words "Many people visit the A-bomb Dome and the surrounding area," informing the public of the aim to prevent accidents involving pedestrians.

According to the City of Hiroshima, a four-meter wide sidewalk on the west side of the dome along the Motoyasu River is particularly busy. In the tourist seasons of spring and fall, the city has received such complaints as "I'm afraid I may get hit by a bicycle."

Though it is possible to impose a restriction on riding bicycles in the park in line with the Hiroshima Municipal Ordinance on parks, the city concluded that "many citizens use the sidewalks when they go to school or work. Prohibiting the riding of bicycles in the park is not an appropriate solution." The city then decided to call for the cooperation of citizens by setting up the signs.

It is not clear, though, if the signs are proving effective. Kosei Mito, 63, a volunteer guide and a resident of Fuchu Town, Hiroshima, is calling for the situation to be improved, saying, "Most cyclists don't even notice the signs." The Greenery Policy Division of the City of Hiroshima said, "We are thinking of posting guards in the park during tourist seasons to call on cyclists to walk their bicycles."

(Originally published on January 13, 2010)

Archives