Correspondence from R. Vasta & P. Hedge Re: 2401 Burnside Road W. - handyDART Site

From: Rose Vasta Subject: HandyDart Facility Site Date: Dec 17, 2019 at 9:40:44 PM To: Minister.Transportation@gov.bc.ca, Premier@gov.bc.ca Cc: Mitzi.Dean.MLA@leg.bc.ca, mayorscreech@viewroyal.ca

Hon. Claire Trevena and Premier John Horgan,

We are writing to express our concern regarding your decision to locate the HandyDart Facility (HDF) at the juncture of Watkiss Way and Burnside Road. If the province decides to go ahead with building the facility at that site a number of problems will clearly ensue. All roads in the area lead to a traffic light controlled four way stop. This is a busy intersection with traffic backed up bumper to bumper and gridlocked during morning and afternoon commute times. This situation exists AFTER a major overhaul of the intersection last year. Many children cross at this intersection to get to the local elementary school and bicycle traffic from the bike path is heavy and often unpredictable. The location of the HDF at that intersection will exacerbate dangerous conditions in what is already a high risk area.

There is only one exit/entrance from our neighbourhood for those of us who live Highland Road or in the Riverside Ridge Development. In order to enter or leave our development even in emergencies it is necessary to negotiate the 4 way stop traffic lights — which is exactly where the Handy Dart Facility will be located.

It doesn't require a specialist in traffic control to see the problems that will arise once the HDF has been completed. We respectfully request that someone from your office simply come by on a weekday at around 5 pm, park on the proposed site and watch a typical evening traffic pattern - that is if you can manage to access the site with all the traffic. You will immediately see what the residents are talking about. Adding additional vehicles and trips to the area simply will not work. The area is already gridlocked. What are you hoping will happen to all of those extra vehicles?

As far as we know there was no consultation with local residents regarding the proposed location of the HDF. By the time we discovered what was going to happen the decision had already been made. It is particularly sad since Highland Road has no bus service at all on weekends! During the week the bus turns around at the beginning of our street but on weekends no buses come up this far. You have ignored our community and denied us weekend bus service for the 23 years we have lived in our home. The closest bus stop is two miles away at the hospital on weekends. Now we are expected to put up with all of this madness to support the public transportation needs of other neighbourhoods while still remaining dependent on cars and bikes ourselves to get out of our neighbourhood on weekends!

Please try to take the letters you receive from my neighbours seriously. There are very valid points being made and we fear decisions are being made far away from this peaceful rural neighbourhood that will create an unworkable traffic pattern, destroy a natural creek habitat and create noise and disruption for those in the immediate area.

Sincerely,

Rose Vasta Peter Hedge 2273 Highland Road Victoria, BC V9B6H8