We read that speed reduction will “frustrate” drivers and “make them break the law.” Some drivers are already frustrated, and breaking the law, at 50 kilometres an hour, 60 km/h and at whatever speed they deem necessary for their convenience.
They are also putting other users at risk. Saanich is looking at a new approach. It is heartbreaking to see letters so strongly reflect a lack of care for those outside vehicles.
“We must return to educating our young people when it comes to road safety and leave the perfectly legitimate and reasonable limits alone.”
This generalization leaves one speechless. One hopes the writer’s educated loved ones are never the pedestrian or cycling victims of a traffic accident.
“Educate people from an early age to respect our roadways for what they are.”
Maybe we could educate people from an early age to understand that drivers must be able to accept shared road situations as well as highway and urban situations.
Saanich will be setting up its new course for success if it accompanies speed reduction with strong education, especially for drivers, who will face the biggest change in behaviour. Local cycling advocacy groups such as Capital Bike are already fostering cyclist education.
“Give bicyclists alternate routes and allow for the free flow of existing traffic.”
Pat Bay, West Saanich, Interurban, Wilkinson, and Helmcken are roads that already exist for the free flow of traffic.
Other users have been given some space through bike lanes, sidewalks, or separate routes like the Lochside Trail. These are roads that have been built to the 50 km/h standards and should be used by cars and trucks transiting the rural areas.
However, speed reduction is the appropriate and fiscally responsible solution on roads which may have six metres or less of pavement, no shoulders, poor sight lines, certainly no sidewalks and which go through neighbourhoods.
“Encouraging the mixing of two-tonne vehicles with frustrated drivers with bikes and pedestrians is dangerously bad planning.”
Indeed, up to now non-conforming roads have been allowed to take these frustrated drivers to wherever they want to go, at the expense of other users. Speed reduction, traffic calming and retaining higher speeds only on roads appropriately designed for speed, would actually be the start of some good planning, and we look forward to this from Saanich.
These actions are the signs of best practices throughout the world. If political gain has come, it has come as a result of making the best decisions to increase the safety of all, on all of our roads. Further gains in livability and sustainability are not far behind.
And no one is stopping traffic from getting to its destinations.
