Residents along Jones Street are concerned about speeding drivers.
Dave Bruce and Robert Filman spoke at Monday’s (Sept. 11) Qualicum Beach regular council meeting about speeding on Jones Street, between Mill Street in the north and Rupert Road in the south.
Filman said the route is much more than a connector, adding that through an approximately one-kilometre span there are eight intersections and a number of laneways, as well as entranceways for a number of services such as the cemetery, B.C. Ambulance Service and the civic centre.
While Jones Street is a high-traffic route, he said, there is also a lot of foot traffic.
Coming off Rupert Road, where the speed limit is 70 km/h, Filman said, there is no indication drivers are in a residential neighbourhood. In B.C. speed limits in residential areas are generally 50 km/h.
“At first glance, when you drive down Jones Street, it’s like a street out in the country, (you) could just cruise along. But the reality is it’s quite utilized,” Filman said.
If the vehicles cautiously adhered to the currently undisplayed speed limit, Filman said, there would be a reasonable degree of safety.
Filman said he and Bruce were asking the town for relief through traffic-calming measures.
“Nanaimo, Vancouver, Surrey and Tofino have utilized traffic calming,” Filman said. “These include bumps, circles, raised crosswalks, stop signs, chicanes (narrowings or curb extensions) and raised intersections.”
After the presentation, council voted to refer it to the Select Committee on Public Safety for discussion.
Along with the presentation on speeding on Jones Street, a letter about speeding on Highway 19A near the Milner Gardens and Woodland entrance was also voted to be sent to the select committee.
In a letter to council Lisa Wallace said, “I believe we have been lucky to not have a major collision along that strip with the speed, the amount of traffic, walkers, cyclists and the ever-present deer.”