Wallace Drive - West Saanich to Stelly's Transportation Route Issues.

Wallace Drive – West Saanich to Stelly’s Transportation Route Issues.

Background:

- Work is underway on Wallace Drive, as part of the sewer replacement, and is being used as an opportunity to do some cost-efficient roadway improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.

- There are several constraints and limitations to the road width in one spot (hydro towers, a stream, farmland), which has resulted in a proposed plan that includes a ‘share the road’ segment, where bikes and cars travel together. This is problematic from a community perspective.

What we are asking for: A safe route along Wallace Rd. We urge the municipality to look at alternative designs, including:

- a separated multi-use pathway along the south side of Wallace that could potentially connect up to the Mount Newton multi-use path in future – what a gem for our community!

- - This would help support the new safe passing distance rules (that require additional space for cyclists by motorists when passing)

- and/or creation of a boardwalk over the ditch?

- and/or acquiring a strip of land from either side of the road

- and/or narrowing the lanes for the segment of road. As the intent is to reduce the speed limit for this corridor, a narrower design might help encourage traffic calming.

- Eliminating the costly raised sidewalk from the plans might help decrease the expense.

Why we are asking for an alternate design:

- The corridor is a route between two of our main urban centres, three of the four schools in our municipality and Centennial Park.

- With increased residential density, more e-bikes and e-scooters and fewer parking spaces for homes, a dedicated multi-use path can offer ways around our community that are less costly than car-dependent infrastructure.

- The proposed design is unsafe. It includes sections of ‘Share the Road’, typically used for streets with much lower traffic levels and, according to the Transportation Association of Canada’s 2020 report Safety Performance “street share lanes” decrease the safety, perceived safety and increase collision severity.

- The proposed design does not promote accessibility or equity.

- Cycling, rolling, walking helps us connect, explore and supports our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing and happiness.

- We are not on track to meet our climate targets. Increasing active transportation is an important part of reducing emissions.

We have been promised bike lanes: Bike lanes have been repeatedly promised to the community, e.g.:

- April 23, 2024 “Improvements to Wallace Drive, including new bike lanes along Wallace Drive.”

- March 28, 2024 “Improvements along Wallace Drive will also include the installation of new bike lanes.”

- Jan 4, 2023 “Conceptual design: Wallace Drive Bike Lane (from West Saanich to Stelly’s Cross Road). The most requested project by the community, this bike lane will provide a route from Brentwood to Saanichton. Conceptual design will begin in 2023, with construction expected start by the end of the year. Construction will coincide with a sewer replacement project along the route.”

- Strategic Plan 2021/22 – “Wallace Dr Bike Path* (2019-2020)”

Safe routes would be aligned with the 2024 Masters Parks & Trails Master Plan top priorities of increasing accessibility and connectivity (see below).

Please attend the June 24th Council Meeting to ask a question and show your support or contact Mayor and Council to share your thoughts.

Transportation Task Force meeting with Central Saanich Staff – Feb/23

This is a report of the meeting that took place February 28, 2023 with Dale Puskas, Director of Engineering

We presented vehicle and pedestrian safety concerns related to the intersections at Mt. Newton/Wallace and Mt. Newton/E. Saanich, as well as Wallace/W. Saanich. With regard to the former, staff indicated that they are well aware of issues related to Mt. Newton/E. Saanich and the relatively high volumes there. They have been considering options for the first two in tandem as any changes to one intersection will impact the other.

For example, if stop lights are installed at E. Saanich, eastbound vehicles stopped for the light will very likely create a backlog (?) extending to and possibly through the intersection at Wallace. A roundabout is not feasible at E. Saanich because there is not enough land available, particularly to accommodate large trucks and buses.

One of the solutions that they are considering is eliminating the right and left turn lanes, but maintaining the four way stop. This will increase safety for pedestrians and also eliminate confusion for drivers who are trying to figure out who is next in the sequence. Pedestrian activated yellow lights might be considered but they have the effect of adding to the visual confusion for drivers who have to process a lot of visual cues as they navigate the intersection.

Some minor changes will be made to the block between E. Saanich and Wallace over the next year or so, including adding a sidewalk on the north side and eliminating the hedge. This work will take place in conjunction with the building of the new building on the NE corner of Mt. Newton/Wallace.

With regard to Wallace/Mt. Newton, we noted a significant number of near misses with regard to pedestrians at that intersection. We asked if there was a way for residents to report near misses and the response was pretty much: no there isn’t because they already get an awful lot of calls about other matters. We pointed out that a tree at the SW corner shades/hides pedestrians and staff said they’d look in to whose tree/what can be done. They also said that proposed redevelopment at the NE corner would see elimination of a problematic hydro pole. Some of the problems are due to W. Saanich being wider than normal. This would make it a possible location for a traffic circle, which we didn’t oppose, but pointed out that finding the location of the crosswalks can be a problem for people with visual impairment.

Staff invited us to look at the Active Transportation Plan on the District website and noted that the current Transportation plan is over 20 years old and that they are starting the work to bring it up to date, referencing all modes of transportation.

Submitted by the Transportation Task Force – Kealey Pringle, Cheryl Upright, and Pieta VanDyke