I am responding to Mayor Dean Murdock’s letter to the editor that came out in the March 27 edition.
Saanich did hold four “pop-up” information booths regarding the Road Safety Action Plan. My wife and I attended the Uptown pop-up and came away feeling it was a show with no value.
I read the 99-page report carefully and had comments and feedback. The person listened and nodded, but took no notes. I walked away feeling I had wasted 10 minutes of my time. I sent the mayor a message on the Saanich website and outlined my feedback in point form and followed that up with a letter also in point form. I received a reply that was polite but a brush-off.
We have lived in the University Heights area since 1982 and I walk daily around the Shelbourne, McKenzie and Cedar Hill Road area. These intersections rate among the most dangerous in the area. I believe the main issue at these intersections is few of the users follow the most basic rules of the road.
Few drivers and cyclists stop at red lights before turning right and seldom look to the right, looking left mainly. I observe vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians ignoring the lights and simply proceeding at will. I have asked Mayor Murdock and the engineer to spend an hour physically observing first hand, as that is the best way to fully understand the behaviour of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
In my experience, Saanich is not the “walkable” community Saanich wants to portray and I have voiced my concerns to the council more than once. Walking sidestreets without sidewalks is as scary and dangerous as using a crosswalk at an intersection. You do it at your own risk.
Thomas Musgreave
Saanich