Correspondence regarding Watkiss Way/Burnside Road Intersection Safety
Emails from resident Carrie McLellan detailing cyclist safety concerns and requesting 'No Right Turn on Red' signage.
From: Carrie McLellan Sent: February 26, 2019 11:33 AM To: Damian Kowalewich; John Rogers Cc: David Screech; Gery Lemon; Ron Mattson; Subject: Re: Watkiss Way/Burnside Road W and Galloping Goose Intersection
Thank you very much Damien and John,
I really apprecte your responses. I can definitely speak more to this at a meeting. When would the next meeting time and date be? I am not involved with the GVCC, but I will reach out to them as well. I will call you on Wednesday John.
Thanks again, Carrie
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From: John Rogers Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 10:09 Subject: Re: Watkiss Way/Burnside Road W and Galloping Goose Intersection To: Damian Kowalewich Cc: Carrie McLellan, David Screech, Gery Lemon, Ron Mattson
Thanks Damian. I really appreciated getting this email from Carrie. I wasn’t aware of the cycling / motorist issues with the new intersection lights there. Carrie raises some good points. We need to get more information, work with ICBC, CRD Parks (trail management), and Eagle Creek School staff to maximize cycling safety... for work and school. I’d be really curious to hear from GVCC (Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition) and the local school PAC on their thoughts.
While it is busy budget time, can we please add this to the Transportation section of the next Committee of the Whole, and invite Carrie (and others) to speak to it?
We know the intersection is a major ‘short cut’ for Western Community drivers to get up the peninsula. I would like to discuss the ‘no right turn on red’ suggestion. This is very similar to Victoria’s bike lane street lights. Brainstorming.... perhaps also a dedicated cycling light, so cyclists don’t proceed on red??
Another way of looking at it... the lowest GHG emitter and the most vulnerable to injury gets first priority.
Cheers, John
Sent from my iPad
On Feb 26, 2019, at 9:28 AM, Damian Kowalewich DKowalewich@viewroyal.ca wrote:
Hi Carrie,
It's budget season right now and we've had 4+ meetings in under a week about the future of our Town and its financial health and viability. Rest assured your email was received and will be reviewed and assessed. As Transportation Chair, I take you concerns seriously. In addition, you are welcome to speak at a public meeting to voice specific concerns.
We receive emails and messages everyday and try our best to respond in a timely manner. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Damian Kowalewich Councillor Town of View Royal
From: Carrie McLellan Sent: February 26, 2019 9:24 AM To: Damian Kowalewich Cc: David Screech; Mayor And Council Email; Gery Lemon; John Rogers; Ron Mattson; Info Address Subject: Re: Watkiss Way/Burnside Road W and Galloping Goose Intersection
Hi Damien,
Is there someone else I should be reaching out to regarding the Watkiss Way/Burnside intersection safety issues? It's been nearly a week and while I understand everyone is busy, it seems an excessive amount of time to not even receieve a "we are looking into it" reply. I have seen multiple close calls at this intersection while awaiting a reply, and I cannot sit back and do nothing while I continue to see these incidents. I have cc'd additional email addresses from the Town of View Royal website in the hopes of my previous email getting to the right people.
Thank you, Carrie Mclellan
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From: Carrie McLellan Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 13:42 Subject: Watkiss Way/Burnside Road W and Galloping Goose Intersection To: dkowalewich@viewroyal.ca
Hi Damien,
Thank you for your email address, this is unrelated to the post in the Chilco Connection facebook group regarding 6 mile traffic back up. If I should send it to another party, please let me know.
As I have stated in various facebook threads (not the best platform, but I am hoping to bring awareness to this intersection), my husband was hit badly by a car while crossing the above stated intersection on his bike. We bike this intersection 2-4 times a day and it is a part of our children's catchment school commute, so I have a 3 and 5 year old on the bike with me. At some point in their school career I would hope that they could bike yo school themselves but not with the way this intersection currently is. It is an incredibly dangerous intersection and even though we do our due diligence and walk our bikes across the cross walk we have had countless close calls. Something needs to change at this intersection immediately, or I fear we are going to see a pedestrian badly injured or killed.
I appreciate the sign that was installed for cars to yield to bikes when turning left across the goose. However, it doesn't seem to be effective. Why can't the bike right of way signal be green when the traffic turning left has a red light? That woud ensure cars are not turning left into cyclists and pedestrians.
Also, many intersections in Langford have "no right turn on red" signs. I think that putting two of these signs at this intersection would greatly increase everyone's safety.
Since Christmas break there has also been no crossing gaurd, or any other type of enforement (that I have seen) at this intersection. I understand that the crossing gaurd is probably Eagle View Elementary's responsibility (not our school), but there has to be some monitoring by the Town of View Royal in this area. Commuters rarely seem to go 30 km an hour in this area, adding to the danger at this intersection.
Please let me know what is happening to improve the safety of this intersection. Honestly, it was safer before there was lights installed, because then everyone stopped at the 4 way stop, they didn't just see a green light and go.
Thank you for your time, Carrie Mclellan
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From: Carrie McLellan Sent: March 5, 2019 11:04 AM To: Damian Kowalewich; John Rogers; David Screech; Info Address Subject: Fwd: No Right Turn on Red - signs in Langford
Hi Damien and John,
Please see email below and attachement from the City of Langford regarding their "no right turn on red" traffic signs. These are what I would like to see at the Watkiss Way/West Burnside intersection. Similar signs, along with proper timing for the "bike priority light" should mitigate safety concerns at this intersection with minimal cost and time to the Town of View Royal.
Thank you, Carrie Mclellan
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From: Phillip LeRoss pleross@cityoflangford.ca Sent: Tuesday, March 5, 2019 9:14:22 AM To: Cc: George Henshall; Langford Engineering General Mailbox Subject: FW: No Right Turn on Red - signs in Langford
Hi Carrie,
City of Langford has two of these signs.
The first is facing westbound traffic on Meaford Avenue at Phipps Rd/PeattRd. The reasoning for this one is inadequate sight distance between westbound motorists wanting to turn right onto Peatt Road and northbound traffic entering the intersection from Phipps Road. This intersection is also in close proximity to the railroad crossing, which can factor into the placement of these signs.

The second location, and this is a recent addition, is at the Veteran’s Memorial Parkway/Strandlund Intersection, for motorists exiting Strandlund onto VMP. The main point of the sign is to avoid collisions with motorists on Peatt Rd turning left onto VMP. The outside lane on Peatt lines up with the middle through lane on VMP heading northbound, but we can anticipate many motorists will edge into the Highway 1 southbound exit lane as they execute their left turn, so there is one point of possible collision. The other would be anticipating motorists turning right off of Strandlund onto VMP and quickly moving into the middle northbound lane on VMP.
Note in the overhead map below the aerial photo still shows the old alignment, not the double left turn from Peatt onto VMP that is there now

For a broader explanation of these signs, I’ve attached a copy of the relevant page from the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Canada (MUTCD), a standard reference document we use when considering sign usage and placement.
Thank you for the email. If you have any more questions or concerns related to the roads, please feel free to contact me directly.
Sincerely,
Phillip LeRoss Engineering Technologist
Sent: Sunday, March 3, 2019 7:31 PM To: Langford Engineering General Mailbox engineering@cityoflangford.ca Subject: Streets, Sidewalk, Traffic Control and Parking
You have received an email from Carrie Mclellan via the Langford website contact us form
Name: Carrie Mclellan Address: 144 Atkins Rd
Message: Hi,
Can you please email me a list of which intersections in Langford have the "no right turn on red" signs? Also can you please send me the reason why some intersections have them and some do not. I am trying to get a no right turn on red sign put up at a very dangerous intersection in View Royal and the View Royal town council asked me to look up more information on these signs in Langford and whst intersections have them.
Thank you so much for your time, Carrie
MANUAL OF UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES FOR CANADA
A2.4.7 RIGHT (LEFT) TURN ON RED TRAFFIC SIGNAL PROHIBITED SIGN (RB-17)

The Right (Left) Turn on Red Traffic Signal Prohibited sign indicates to drivers that during the red traffic signal indication they are not permitted to turn right (or left). Such prohibitions may be required for any of the following conditions:
(a) inadequate sight distance or restrictive geometries; (b) irregular intersection with more than four approaches and multi-phase control; (c) conflicts with an exclusive pedestrian phase; (d) the existence of unusual movements such as double left turns by opposing traffic or double right turns; (e) a history of right turn on red or left turn on red collisions on a particular approach; or (f) the proximity of a railroad crossing with signal pre-emption on that approach.
The sign should be mounted on the far right (or the far left) corner of the intersection. In many cases it is installed adjacent to the far right (or the far left) signal head. When a near right (or left) signal head exists, another sign should be installed. Other special circumstances such as a wide intersection may require the installation of additional signs.
JANUARY 2014