Correspondence regarding Crossing Guards, Sidewalks, and Infrastructure

Subject: School Crossing Guards; Sidewalks, Infrastructure

Hello Mayor Sid Tobias and View Royal Council Members

I write today to request that you consider the continued funding of school crossing guards at both View Royal Elementary and Eagle View Elementary Schools. I am also writing to request sidewalk construction along both Watkiss Way and Burnside Road West.

As a senior resident and daily dog walker on Burnside Road West and Watkiss Way in View Royal, we rely on the crossing guards to ensure children can safely walk to and from their schools. The presence of safety crossing guards is a reminder to drivers that these are school zones, and there is a need to slow down. The speed on both Burnside Road West and Watkiss Way often exceeds 50 kmh. Sadly, too many drivers appear oblivious to the posted school zones on both roads. To date our requests for traffic calming in this area have been denied or disregarded.

The intersection at Watkiss Way and Burnside Road West is heavily travelled by drivers/buses/construction vehicles/cyclists/runners/walkers. It is also a Galloping Goose access point and appears to be used by many drivers to travel from the peninsula to Colwood, Langford, and the Western Communities during morning and evening rush hours. Soon there will be additional traffic as this intersection will also house the new BC Transit Handi Dart Hub.

A site at Watkiss Way and Erskine Lane is currently under construction, boasting the addition of more than 300 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom rental units that will add a significant traffic footprint to this area. Currently there are regular trips with multiple dump trucks hauling rock from the site. These trucks are often seen sitting on the edge of the roadbed at Wakiss Way waiting to enter the site to pick up another load. There is no light/sidewalk or crossing guard. How do you plan to accommodate the addition of so many new families. I am concerned that a lack of planning and infrastructure will only add to the issues already experienced here.

This area is not without its social problems. Recently a man wielding a bicycle chain was seen walking the area and smashing vehicles as he went along. Thefts from vehicles and private property are common along this corridor, regularly reported by local residents. Unhoused people have been seen sleeping on the ground at bus stops at dawn. I have often passed adults who look quite unwell as they walk Watkiss Way on their way to the hospital. If there are any dangerous or unstable adults in the area, they are less likely to harass students or local walkers, knowing there is an adult checkpoint on the route to school.

Most recently our elementary schools were locked down during a reported cougar sighting. With wooded and rocky outcroppings and our proximity to both Thetis and Francis King parks it is not surprising that a cougar would find the area appealing. Having a crossing guard present when the smallest residents are making their way to and from our schools

The area from Erskine Lane to the Eagle Creek Village on Watkiss Way is also of concern. There is no controlled intersection at Erskine Lane and Watkiss Way. There are no sidewalks (although there are bike lanes) and walkers heading to and from the shopping area are forced to walk on the unpaved shoulders of Wakiss Way. The traffic speed in this area often exceeds 70 kmh. I have witnessed this speed being recorded on the electronic sign on Watkiss Way. I am wondering what if any plans there are to add sidewalks to this area. With the addition of more than 300 families once the "Blueprint" and other developments on Erskine Lane are completed, how do you plan to encourage us to walk this short distance for shopping?

There are also no sidewalks and little to no shoulder to safely walk to and from school on Burnside Road West from Meadow Park Lane to Helmcken Road, and although this is the district of Saanich, the children living here walk to Eagle View Elementary or their parents drive them. Many parents drive their children to Eagle View Elementary which causes a bit of pandemonium at both Talcott road and Watkiss Way and Burnside Road West during drop off and pick up times that is also a safety concern. The roads from Watkiss Way along Burnside Road West and Meadow Park Lane to Aldersmith Park are heavily travelled by children /walkers/runners/dog walkers on a daily basis. Some parents park vehicles in the cul de sac on Meadow Park Lane and walk their children through the park to get to Eagle View Elementary School. There are also several school buses dropping children at the school. I believe the logistics of getting young children safety to and from school under these conditions warrant the funding of crossing guards at every intersection.

I write to request that you reconsider and provide for ongoing funding for school crossing guards at both elementary schools. My question is can I count on you to support this funding?

In addition, I request that you consider adding sidewalks to the aforementioned areas if indeed it is your desire to reduce vehicle traffic in the area. Do I have your support for additional sidewalk construction in this area?

Lastly, I would like to know what your plans are for expanding the capacity at Eagle View Elementary school to accommodate the increase in population in the area once the rental housing construction is complete?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Gail Mitchell, 102 Meadow Park Lane, View Royal, BC