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Strawberry Vale Traffic Initiative

IMPORTANT UPDATE JANUARY 2010

Resdents need to be aware of recent developments and upcoming meetings.

Plan to attend one or more of the following sessions, hosted by Saanich Engineering at Strawberry Vale Elementary:

1. Fri. Jan 29: 6:30 - 9:00 pm
2. Sat. Jan 30: 10:00am - 5:00 pm
3. Sun. Jan 31: 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Write to Saanich with your questions or concerns. Make your opinion known. Remember, if you do nothing you are indicating acceptance of the Bunt and Associates plan as it has been presented.

Timeline:
Fall 2005: Saanich proposed changing the Hastings Street approach to the 5-way intersection so that it would operate more efficiently. Pressure from local residents forced Saanich to reconsider their plans.

November 2007: In response to long-standing local concerns about commuter traffic short-cutting through North Road, Saanich closed North at Hastings on a "trial basis."

Late 2008: Saanich hired Bunt & Associates to analyze the situation and present options to local residents and Saanich.

June 2009: Saanich and Bunt & Associates held a public meeting.

December 2009: Bunt and Saanich released a final report.

The recommendations from the June meeting and the final December report are no longer available on the Saanich website:

Key points:
North re-opened, with no legal left turn out to Interurban

Hastings partially closed, allowing right-in/right-out traffic only

All west and north bound traffic from this neighbourhood diverted through the Santa Rosa/Wilkinson intersection

Traffic calming measures will be considered to discourage external commuter traffic.

Problems with this plan:
Bunt readily admits that any fix to the 5-way intersection is a band-aid that will improve traffic flow for only 3 to 5 years.

Local residents face possible gridlock when trying to leave the neighbourhood from North, Roy, Dunsterville and notably Santa Rosa, particularly in the morning. (Presently, one vehicle per light is able to turn left from Santa Rosa onto Helmcken. Yet this plan will direct significantly more cars to turn left at this intersection!)


Good News:
The report includes a left turn lane into Knockan drive.
SVRA has had discussions with BC Transit and they are considering improvement to bus service for the area.
View Royal may make changes to Watkiss Way to reduce the traffic level on Burnside.

What are other options?
Significant improvement could be achieved through widening Wilkinson at the intersection; Saanich will not consider this.

The real solution to regional traffic is improvements to the Trans-Canada at Mckenzie (priority 1) and Tillicum This is the responsibility of the provincial and federal governments.

Until a real solution is on the table, many of us want our neighbourhood - and traffic flow - to be left as it is!

Please visit the Bulletin Board. There are details of a meeting with Saanich and a detailed analysis of the proposed plan here