Correspondence from Diane & Russ Ridout RE: Police ratio and time delays, construction and traffic

From: Diane & Russ Ridout Sent: March 28, 2025 11:40 AM To: Mayor And Council Email mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca Subject: Police ratio and time delays, construction and traffic

Good Morning Mayor and Council,

I emailed earlier in the new year regarding issues and about the changes in our neighbourhood with crime and drug houses. When this green truck below with a female driver and male passenger who were caught in the act robbing us taking our tools, smashed into our truck, threw an axe at my husband wearing a mask on, I called 911, but the police were not in our neighbourhood and would have been dispatched from Langford. The suspects were never charged, due to not having a proper description in the dark, but the police caught them in another situation in Saanich for car theft. When the names of the suspects was mentioned to the public, both suspects have lengthy offences, including federal time for the male passenger. The female driver is being charged with a possession of a weapon and other bad stuff, including with home evasions, currently.

My email today is the concerned with population growth, police ratio and traffic congestion of the main artery road of island highway. The line painting on the Island Highway, that shut down the highway to one lane could have been completed in one shift and on a night shift. The new bus lane on the north bound lane , just before the gas station indicating that the bus lane ends has line painting stating it is a bus lane after the sign tells you it ends? The only one entrance way into the gas station from the bus lane is very confusing for drivers, to cut into the lane to get into the gas station.

The pavement condition of the newly completed bus exchange and line painting for the improvements, is in bad shape, and not sure who is monitoring the government funding for the new bus lane improvements, or who will pay for the new pavement on this stretch of highway, as it should have been paved with the funding given for the job bid.

The construction at the corner of Helmcken Road and Island Highway is still not finished, with traffic delays. Emergency response times are essential for residents and with all the road construction and bike lanes in Saanich, changing the gorge area down to one lane, with cement medians, vehicles will not be able to move over for emergency vehicles. In the past month, two accidents on the TCH have diverted traffic onto the six mile road onto the Island Highway. The traffic monitoring from the western communities into View Royal, who is monitoring the vehicle numbers coming onto Old Island Highway because bike lanes is not going to support families getting to work. The carbon Monoxide emissions has only increased in the light changes at Helmcken Road and more to come with the new improvements with the bus exchange lane before six mile road, with that light change, stopping traffic. Many commuters are living further away for cheaper housing/rents.

Please ensure our emergency vehicles, policing are able to get to their calls in a timely manner with all the traffic delays, construction and being dispatched for emergency calls to our community from Langford. Please include residents for a say in the way their community is being over congested in traffic jams and carbon monoxide idling of fumes. Thank you for reading my email of concerns.

Diane Ridout

Sent from my iPad