Re: Report on traffic network by R. F. Binnie and Associates.
I note that four recommendations were presented to council as priority items, one of which, the closing of Railway Street at Memorial, council immediately rejected.
I note that the next recommendation on the list is the reinstallation of the 50 km/h speed limit on Memorial. I am at a loss to understand the thinking behind this recommendation. After all the work and money spent last year in putting the 40 km/h speed limit in place it seems irrational to consider changing it back at this time. The slowing of traffic on the hill has been imperfect, but is still an improvement over the previous situation.
Until the proposed changes are made on Memorial there does not seem to be any good reason to consider changing back the speed limit. I would have thought that it would be more important to consider pedestrian safety on Memorial than the grumbles of a few motorists who like to use it as a speedway. The absence of crosswalks at the intersection of Memorial and Crescent is particularly worrying, given the only pedestrian crosswalk is on the eastern side of the intersection. For people who happen to be walking to the water, on the left, facing the traffic, as is the proper way to do it, there is no crosswalk at the intersection.
I note the cost of the Binnie report was partially offset by an Age-Friendly Transportation planning grant (Parksville Qualicum Beach News, Fri., Aug. 17, 2012) and I wonder what the actual cost of this report was. I would feel much happier to think that my tax dollars were being spent in actual community services than in the preparation of such drivel.
Catherine M. Khane, Qualicum Beach