Letter dated January 10, 2020 from C. Kitson, Re: Pedestrian Controlled crosswalk and Sidewalk on Erskine Lane

RE: Pedestrian Controlled crosswalk at Watkiss Way / Erskine Lane / Stoneridge Drive & Sidewalk on Erskine in 2020

Erskine Lane strata residents attended the Advisory Committees on Tuesday. We heard that the developer and staff don’t feel there is a need for a vehicle controlled intersection at Watkiss Way and Erskine Lane, but no one talked about pedestrians.

Aerial map of the Stoneridge and Erskine Lane neighborhoods adjacent to Watkiss Way, highlighting residential density, bus stops, and specific traffic safety concerns including lack of a crosswalk and poor sight-lines on a curve.

Back around 1994/1995 when Watkiss Way was built, Erskine Lane residents moved in and then Stoneridge about 10 years after that and there wasn’t that much traffic. During the last 10 years, pedestrian safety is constantly at risk. View Royal fixed Burnside/Watkiss Way with a light. You have put up pedestrian controlled lights all over the town since… but not here. NOW it is time to do so!

The image shows the number of homes of families and seniors who live here. You see the two bus stops on Watkiss Way. You don’t see a cross walk. Transit users need to SAFELY cross the street to either get on or off a bus. Talcott Road cross walk has the benefit of visibility, sidewalks and a 30km school zone. We don’t. People want to get to/from the Galloping Goose, VGH, parks, but we have to cross dangerous Watkiss Way.

On top of the ever increasing (speeding) commuter traffic from the Western Communities, we have those driving to Thetis Lake Park, VGH, Highlands Golf Course, Eagle View School, and the very popular Eagle Creek Shopping Centre. We now have the added traffic from the new homes at 1900/1950 Watkiss Way.

Our two neighbourhoods have moms, dads, children, seniors, strollers, dogs, mobility scooters, and cyclists…all with varying ability to dodge cars, trucks and buses. Please make it easy and safe for us all. I watched a young mom yesterday try and negotiate crossing the road with her school age daughter and another one in the stroller, it can be very precarious.

We cannot wait for developer money from lots 7 and 9, how long will that be anyway (2-3 years before any work starts)? The town’s safety issue is today… not tomorrow. Oh, and all the buses and employees from the Transit HandyDart facility are coming!

It is bad now! Do not wait. Please get this done in 2020!

I am also requesting a sidewalk be installed on the even side of Erskine Lane, first, View Royal already owns the land in front of the townhouse complex, and there is a curb already installed for a good portion of the length, and as Erskine Lane is deemed a local road, it is required to have sidewalks on both sides of the road. We cannot have people walking up and down Erskine Lane with any development going on at #7, #9 or #10. If #7 starts, the first thing will be soil remediation and any large trucks coming and going will only put pedestrians at even greater risk than what they encounter now. I would like this also to be done in 2020!

Please tell me we can get these 2 important safety issues addressed without another petition.

Sincerely,

Carol Kitson Erskine Lane Strata President