Subject: Fwd: (External Email) Pear Street Traffic - August 11th, 2021
Hello Pear Street Neighbours
As promised in our previous e-mail.
Dave and Paula Hames
250.595.8271
Begin forwarded message:
From: Harley Machielse <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: September 22, 2021 at 2:39:26 PM PDT
To: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Subject: RE: (External Email) Pear Street Traffic - August 11th, 2021
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Hames,
In addition to the letter you would have received from ATC, I can provide the following information.
In our review of Pear St we feel the North/South crossing at Thistle is an important connection to the Elementary school to improve in the short-term. This will allows us to incorporate traffic calming improvements for Pear St in the design. The Transportation Team will be working in the next few months to develop this design for construction next summer. As you can imagine we have a number of projects in the queue for both design and construction so it does take time for us to work through a new initiative. Once we have a better sense of what the improvements will look like we will reach out to share the details. This may not be until the new year based on existing priorities and resources.
In the medium term, the Active Transportation Plan identifies Pear street for upgrades between Shelbourne and Thistle. This is likely 5-8 years away. As a result, we will be looking to use some quick build techniques for the improvement described above until we can make the permanent improvements in the medium term. This will allow us evaluate the design and see if any alterations are needed prior to the permanent work.
As part of the Shelbourne Street Improvement Project (Phase II – construction to begin summer 2022), we will be removing the northbound Shelbourne left turn bay at Pear street and installing No Left during rush hour signs. This in combination with some signal modifications will help reduce traffic from using Pear during these periods. We recognize this may be an inconvenience for residents but will help reduce the shortcutting that is happening during the peak period.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Regards,
Harley
From: Dave Hames [This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2021 2:52 PM
To: Engineering <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Harley Machielse <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Cc: Fred Haynes <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Susan Brice <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Judy Brownoff <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Nathalie Chambers <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Karen Harper <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Rebecca Mersereau <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Colin Plant <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Ned Taylor <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Subject: (External Email) Pear Street Traffic - August 11th, 2021
|
This email sent from outside the District of Saanich. Use caution if message is unexpected or sender is not known to you. |
August 11th 2021
Engineering Department
District of Saanich
3500 Blanshard St.
Victoria, BC V8X 1W3
Attention: Harley Machielse, Director of Engineering
Subject; Traffic on Pear Street
Let me introduce ourselves. We are Dave and Paula Hames. We have lived at 1564 Pear Street since 1988. As you are aware, this neighbourhood is, dare I say, reasonably affordable. It’s close to schools, UVic, parks, senior living, basic shopping, banking, medical services and all within walking distance. In the 33 years we have seen a lot of change and understand it happens. However, the traffic that has been diverted onto Pear Street is destructive, totally unacceptable and easily mitigated or reduced.
We first brought this issue to the attention of Colin Doyle in Feb of 2014. Since then, the traffic has progressively gotten worse. We have approached this issue by writing letters to the Mayors (Atwell and Haynes), Councilors, the Director of Engineering and his staff. We held a neighbourhood meeting, attended by Mayor Atwell, submitted a petition of protest, requested traffic surveys and had many phone conversation with engineering staff including yourself and David Sparanese. We also had an in-office meeting with then Mayor Atwell and in home meeting with then Councilor Haynes. Over this period all we accomplished was the installation ‘No Truck’ signs. These signs are poorly place, inconspicuous and largely ignored. The pat answer was always to refer the issue to the Administrative Traffic Committee. They deemed it not to be a problem and because the vehicle count was well within the acceptable limits of a residential street no action was necessary. We believe traffic now well exceed these limits.
A Little history may help in understanding how we got to where we are today. The safety/traffic devises at Pear and Shelbourne went from a simple painted crosswalk to a flashing amber light, to ‘cats eyes’ alerting motorist of the crosswalk, to pedestrians activated red light push button, to cyclist activated red light push button and to the now a full 4 way traffic light. The traffic on Pear was further encouraged with the removal 2 lanes on Cedar Hill Cross between Shelbourne and Richmond, the realignment of Popular at Pear to further encouraging traffic towards Pear. The installation of a stop sign on Thistle at Pear further indicates that Pear is now a ‘secondary’ street and not a ‘residential’ street.
In view of the apparent increase in traffic, with trucks totally ignoring the ‘No Trucks’ sign, the amount of pedestrian use with no sidewalks, the damage to the road surface, speed and frequency of vehicles, noise, general safety and destruction to the neighbourhood, we believe another assessment is in order and long overdue.
Because the high traffic volumes, excessive speeds and shortcutting has impacted the safety, livability and character of the neighbourhood, I am asking Saanich prior to referring the issue once again to the Administrative Traffic Committee;
- Conduct a current vehicle survey that includes frequency, speed, type and volume;
- Enforce the ‘No Truck’ bylaw;
- Conduct onsite observations to fully understand the safety threat to residents, pedestrians, cyclists and Doncaster students as a result of the traffic including large trucks that are illegally using the street;
- Undertake a traffic management action plan as per section 8.16 of the Shelbourne Local Area Plan.
Over the years we have requested/suggested means to restore this residential area to a calm, safe and quiet neighbourhood. These included removal of the traffic light at Shelbourne, no access off Shelbourne, one-way street, local traffic only, speed bumps, reduced speed limit, extend Doncaster school zone, ban trucks, block off through traffic and put in sidewalks. Admitting, some of these are extreme but all should be given due consideration.
Pear between Shelbourne and Cedar Hill has now a ‘secondary road’ and no longer a residential street and like mentioned above, further demonstrated by the installation of a stop sign at Thistle.
Many areas have experienced similar traffic issue and have received remedial action in one form or another. We list some examples;
- Doncaster from Derby to North Dairy – Speed humps, calming structure at Ocean View, no access off North Dairy,
- Cedar- closed at Thistle,
- Ophir - closed between Elm and Pear,
- Church – speed hump,
- Elm – closed at Shelbourne,
- Frechette – closed at Lansdowne,
- Service, Carman, Aldridge and Kingsley no access off Lansdowne
Our hopes, at minimum, are that steps be taken to reduce the car traffic, remove trucks by enforcing current prohibition, reduce speed down from 50 to 30 kph, provide safe passage for pedestrian and most importantly return the street to residential access only.
I know I speak for most of the residents on Pear and Thistle but because our previous pleas have not resulted in any action, they have essentially and unfortunately ‘thrown in the towel’
Thank you and look forward to a favourable resolution to the issue.
Dave and Paula Hames
1564 Pear Street
250.595.8281
cc