Dan Walton
Oliver Chronicle
What’s the rush? This is Oliver.
The Town is exploring traffic calming options that are targeting the high-complaint areas.
“People speed everywhere,” said Director of Operations Shawn Goodsell, “but if we can hit some of the main areas, specifically the higher speed areas then that will help.”
The results of a recent traffic calming study by TRUE Consulting were shared with the public during an open house at the Community Centre on Dec. 4. Several concepts were presented, and the cost to install each design ranged between $2,500 and $66,000.
Here’s a rundown of the ideas: traffic circles on Fairview Road where urban becomes rural, a crosswalk upgrade near the Oliver Arena, proper sidewalks and more school zone signage near Tuc-el-Nuit Elementary, altering the crosswalk and walkway near the Frank Venables Theatre, and making it scarier to speed along Sawmill Road by adding in yellow paint and bollards.
• Read more: Speeding in Oliver worries civilian watchdogs
After garnering input from the public, a wish list will be presented to council, who will decide which options to purchase through the Town’s five year financial plan.
Another idea being explored is the use of portable speed readers, which switch locations throughout the year so drivers don’t get too accustomed to them.
Two local residents attending the open house were Catherine and James Hodge.
Catherine would like for the alley behind 7-11 to be reduced down to one-way traffic.
“There’s a very short distance between the intersection and where the alleyway comes out of so it can be very dangerous to take a left hand turn,” she said. “And in the summer, if someone tries to turn left just after the lights at Fairview and Main, the intersection gets really backed up.”
• Read more: Province could cash in on naughty drivers in Oliver
Catherine’s only reservation was with the cost of traffic circles on Fairview. Two have been proposed at a cost of $66,000 each, and she feels like four-way stop signs would increase safety at a much lower cost.
James, after studying the traffic calming ideas, agreed with most of them, but he didn’t like a suggestion to remove the white crosswalk beside the rainbow one on Fairview Road since it’s so close to the high school.
“I don’t see the point of removing crosswalks,” he said, “kids just generally take the path whichever is quickest.”
The Hodges liked the suggested upgrades to Sawmill Road, except for the flexible bollards.
“Those are all just going to get run over so that’s a waste of money,” said Catherine.
And they feel like the school zone signage near Tuc-el-Nuit is a no-brainer.
“They don’t need to ask our opinion on that one – a kid’s life is going to be worth more than $2,500.”
Dieter Bunge, who also attended the open house, doesn’t want somebody to lose their life before new safety measures are installed.
He doesn’t feel like everyone is very patient in Oliver – when he goes out walking his dog, he said drivers are regularly giving him the middle finger.
“Safety for taxpayers should be considered,” he said. “But safety is not there if you’re a person who walks from one side to the next.”
Bunge said drivers are also “speeding like crazy” near the hospital.
“Something should be done there too, it’s a retired area.”
