Saanich’s lane removal is the right move
Change is hard, and sometimes change is necessary. Quadra Street and McKenzie Avenue in Saanich have reached their capacity as transportation corridors for single-occupancy vehicles, and must be upgraded to carry more people in a growing region.
Adding bus lanes and upgrading cycling facilities will more than quadruple the number of people who can move through these corridors, which is essential for accommodating expected population growth.
The alternative of “do nothing” forces people to choose cars for transportation, increasing congestion, pollution, and danger to people walking or cycling.
Providing transportation options that are as fast, safe and convenient as driving is essential to any thriving region in the 21st century.
“Traffic evaporation” is also an important concept that requires citizens’ attention in Saanich. When single-occupancy lanes are removed from streets like Quadra and McKenzie, traffic congestion doesn’t increase, and there isn’t magically more traffic on side streets.
When lanes are removed, traffic simply disappears. People adapt to the new design, make fewer or more efficient trips, and choose other modes when it’s suitable. This effect results in quieter, safer and more vibrant urban streets.
In a municipality that until recently hasn’t been known for its transportation innovation, Saanich is doing the right things to build for the future with this new plan. Keep up the good work and get the shovels in the ground!
Ben Cowie
Saanich
Traffic will back up on narrower McKenzie
Saanich plans to make Quadra and McKenzie streets one lane each way to make room for bike and bus lanes. We cannot speak for Quadra traffic, but we travel McKenzie frequently in both directions.
Our experience is that McKenzie has traffic issues even with two-lanes. During peak times, both lanes each way are slowed to a crawl.
Also note that a lot of traffic on McKenzie is commercial traffic that cannot bike or bus. If McKenzie is reduced to one lane, it would make travel intolerable.
As an example, one day recently there was maintenance on McKenzie going west where one lane was blocked west of Borden beside the municipal yard.
Vehicles were backed up all the way to Blenkinsop Road. The distance was 800 metres, and it took five minutes when the travel time without traffic is less than one minute.
This was at 11:30 a.m. during off-peak traffic. Most of the vehicle traffic goes to and from the Trans-Canada Highway, which is 4.3 kilometres from Blenkinsop. Imagine how long it would take if it was one lane for the whole distance.
Philosophically, it would be nice if we could have separate lanes for each type of traffic, but there is insufficient space to do so. For many of us, driving on McKenzie is the only reasonable way to get across town and must remain two lanes for vehicle traffic.
Ross and Anne Wilson
Saanich
1950s village idea is not realistic
Well it is official: Saanich council and the staff have officially joined the Silly Season Association. Their plans to turn Saanich into a bunch of “villages” borders on the ludicrous. The so-called Shelbourne Valley and Quadra Village are basically blips on the street map and I see no likelihood that the residents are working within walking distance in those areas.
McKenzie and Quadra are essential commuter roads with access to both the Pat Bay Highway and the Trans-Canada Highway. A reduction to one lane with high-speed bus lanes assumes that commuters will switch to public transportation, which is a fallacious assumption not rooted in reality.
Both roads are lined with commuters now, and a lane reduction will serve no one now or in the future. Ontario is planning to remove divided bike lanes in Toronto on commuter routes to reduce traffic congestion.
Council members should be forced to take critical thinking courses and plan based on foreseeable growth and not a static view of life.
Saanich council and Victoria council should stop foisting “woke” pipe dreams on the local population and accept the fact that an idyllic 1950s village concept is a non-starter.
Chris Sheldon
Victoria
Tell those pesky deer to stay in one place
“We should not allow bucks to run free.” Sounds like a good idea to me.
I guess we could just make sure that we call them all in at the start of rutting season, or at the very least, put up signs, “no bucks allowed during the rut.”
That should keep them away from doing what comes naturally. Maybe we could let only does run freely.
Certainly, a good way to keep the population down.
Lyall Eriksen
Colwood
Deer population is a menace
It’s just a matter of time before an unsuspecting elderly person or young one gets in the way of a buck just wanting to perpetuate the deer population.
Why not round them all up (as humanely as possible) in the urban areas like Oak Bay, Victoria, Esquimalt, Colwood, etc., and ship them in cattle trucks to the middle of nowhere B.C. and let them live out their lives on the range.
Obviously, in the more rural areas like the Saanich Peninsula and Metchosin they could be left to live in their natural environment.
If they come into town, they get picked up, placed into a holding pen and then shipped away when there’s enough to fill a truck.
Costs for this to be shared amongst the municipalities, but overall, the Capital Regional District should take the lead with this program.
They are nice to look at, but in reality, they are a daily menace and can be a danger in urban areas to themselves, people (and cars) and pets. If they were cougars, they would be shot or tranquillized and shipped out.
Chris McGraw
Oak Bay
Deer are the problem, it’s not the dogs
It’s not about dogs or their responsible humans. It’s the deer! And please let’s not make it about a child.
Rest in peace to my wee six-pound Ollie, stomped to death in 2015 by a large buck in his Oak Bay yard.
Heather Holmes
North Saanich
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