With one of the highest crash ratings on the Island, it's past time to take a closer look at the intersection of Sayward Road and Pat Bay Highway, local residents say.
"It's a notoriously dangerous intersection," said Roger Stonebanks, Cordova Bay Association president. "In 2007, according to ICBC as of a few months ago, this intersection was, with two others, the most dangerous on Vancouver Island."
ICBC data for the intersection show that in 2004, there were 50 crashes -- 20 involving an injury or death, 30 property damage only. That number increased to 70 crashes in each of 2005, 2006 and 2007, with 30 casualty accidents and 40 property-damage-only accidents in each of those years. In 2008, there were 60 crashes -- 20 involving casualties and 40 property damage only.
Farther north along the highway, plans have been unveiled for a $24-million interchange to replace the intersection of McTavish Road and the Patricia Bay Highway that provides access to the airport.
But the airport turnoff doesn't even crack ICBC's list of top 20 crash sites.
Proposals for other interchanges in the capital region that residents see as pressing have been met by political wrangling and financial obstacles.
As for the Sayward crossing, Stonebanks has written to a variety of officials, including Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard, the
Ministry of Transportation, and Chris Foord, co-chairman of the Capital Regional District traffic safety commission, asking that a more thorough examination be done. The association wants:
- An examination of the causes of the accidents, where precisely they occur, and at what time of the day
- Recommendations for safety improvements
- An opportunity for the public to provide input.
"The overriding principles for all proposed changes, in our opinion, should be safety and not encouraging north-south traffic to cut through roads within Cordova Bay," Stone-
banks says in his letter.
Leonard said Saanich supports the association and will gather whatever data it can in terms of police reports or engineering material to forward to the province in support of improvements. "I'm told there are some things there that could be done," he said. "I don't have the expertise to know which is right or which is wrong. Certainly, there's a number of direct accesses in the vicinity of that intersection that some have questioned. Even the location of a bus stop, some have questioned."
Ministry of Transportation spokesman Jeff Knight said no short-term solutions are under consideration at this time. But he said the ministry would certainly be willing to work with Saanich in looking at them.
