Working for your Road Safety on the Sunshine Coast
Public Reports
Others
April 6, Coast Reporter Article
A collection of reports sent in by the public advising of hazards, close calls and other observations.
April 02/07
RE: Synopsis of Route 101 Accident Prevention Initiative meeting, Davis Bay
Community Hall,
Compiled by Tony Richmond
Close to 30 people from Garden Bay, Halfmoon Bay, West Sechelt, Davis Bay/Wilson Creek, Roberts Creek, Elphinstone, Granthams Landing, Gibsons and Langdale met for a wide-ranging discussion concerning components of an accident prevention program for Route 101. How do you achieve a 50 per cent reduction in accident frequency by 2012? Consequently, the meeting approved the formation of a steering committee to proceed with the registration of the Route 101 Society immediately.
Not only was the hall rental cost defrayed by an anonymous friend, but $280 was collected through donations and the $10 membership fee. As SCRD director Lorne Lewis said as the meeting closed: 'This humble birth will have significant impacts on accident prevention initiatives throughout the Sunshine Coast in the coming years'.
RE: Synopsis of Route 101 Accident Prevention Initiative meeting, Davis Bay
Community Hall,
Compiled by Tony Richmond
Close to 30 people from Garden Bay, Halfmoon Bay, West Sechelt, Davis Bay/Wilson Creek, Roberts Creek, Elphinstone, Granthams Landing, Gibsons and Langdale met for a wide-ranging discussion concerning components of an accident prevention program for Route 101. How do you achieve a 50 per cent reduction in accident frequency by 2012? Consequently, the meeting approved the formation of a steering committee to proceed with the registration of the Route 101 Society immediately.
Not only was the hall rental cost defrayed by an anonymous friend, but $280 was collected through donations and the $10 membership fee. As SCRD director Lorne Lewis said as the meeting closed: 'This humble birth will have significant impacts on accident prevention initiatives throughout the Sunshine Coast in the coming years'.
Feb 14 2007
RE: Route 101 Accident Prevention Initiative -
FROM: Tony Richmond, Director, Elphinstone Electors Association
Our communities here on the Sunshine Coast are connected up by Route 101. Some refer to it as Highway 101. This ribbon of old logging roads that date from the 1950's or earlier, now paved and joined one with another, serves as the major transportation corridor for all domestic, commercial and connecting ferry traffic between Langdale and Powell River. It is about 85 km in total length, without counting the road on the north side of Jervis Inlet extending into Powell River itself and serves a population of about 36,000. There is one passing lane, but for the most part the speed limit ranges from 50 to 80 kmh, with 60 being the median speed limit. The effective speed limit is set by the slowest driver in a string of traffic 1.5 km long.
So far this year, three people have been killed on Route 101 or its feeder roads. Over the last five years ICBC reports 300 casualties and a total of 652 accidents, 352 of these limited to motor vehicle damage only. These are not evenly distributed but most occur at a number of well-recognized "hotspots" throughout the Route 101 corridor and its feeder roads. The baseline cause for this rotten accident record is that we have a 1950's logging road alignment combined with a 2007 vehicle operations culture.
Thus, we all cry out for a bypass highway, a way of bypassing all of the shortcomings inherent in the existing transportation dilemma as we head for home. In fact a "bypass" has been promised by a number of governments from the 1980's onwards. We may get one by the year 2067, so how many people get killed in the meantime?
The answer involves the education of all of us Route 101 addicts. Most of these accidents have been traced to driver or pedestrian error. We do stupid things then blame the road. Collectively, we all need to monitor our ability to traverse Route 101 safely. That, connected with the development of local secondary roads to offer alternate routing in the event of roads closed due to accidents, and the re-engineering of our most lethal hotspots to enhance pedestrian safety should become our focus - immediately.
Rather than six more police traffic officers, we need a regional traffic management plan tied into all of the unbridled development now in motion. This, combined with a Route 101 driving code of behaviour and the reduction of hotspots will reduce the number of truly tragic impacts on the life of our communities. Go for it.
RE: Route 101 Accident Prevention Initiative -
FROM: Tony Richmond, Director, Elphinstone Electors Association
Our communities here on the Sunshine Coast are connected up by Route 101. Some refer to it as Highway 101. This ribbon of old logging roads that date from the 1950's or earlier, now paved and joined one with another, serves as the major transportation corridor for all domestic, commercial and connecting ferry traffic between Langdale and Powell River. It is about 85 km in total length, without counting the road on the north side of Jervis Inlet extending into Powell River itself and serves a population of about 36,000. There is one passing lane, but for the most part the speed limit ranges from 50 to 80 kmh, with 60 being the median speed limit. The effective speed limit is set by the slowest driver in a string of traffic 1.5 km long.
So far this year, three people have been killed on Route 101 or its feeder roads. Over the last five years ICBC reports 300 casualties and a total of 652 accidents, 352 of these limited to motor vehicle damage only. These are not evenly distributed but most occur at a number of well-recognized "hotspots" throughout the Route 101 corridor and its feeder roads. The baseline cause for this rotten accident record is that we have a 1950's logging road alignment combined with a 2007 vehicle operations culture.
Thus, we all cry out for a bypass highway, a way of bypassing all of the shortcomings inherent in the existing transportation dilemma as we head for home. In fact a "bypass" has been promised by a number of governments from the 1980's onwards. We may get one by the year 2067, so how many people get killed in the meantime?
The answer involves the education of all of us Route 101 addicts. Most of these accidents have been traced to driver or pedestrian error. We do stupid things then blame the road. Collectively, we all need to monitor our ability to traverse Route 101 safely. That, connected with the development of local secondary roads to offer alternate routing in the event of roads closed due to accidents, and the re-engineering of our most lethal hotspots to enhance pedestrian safety should become our focus - immediately.
Rather than six more police traffic officers, we need a regional traffic management plan tied into all of the unbridled development now in motion. This, combined with a Route 101 driving code of behaviour and the reduction of hotspots will reduce the number of truly tragic impacts on the life of our communities. Go for it.
SPEED WATCH STATS - SUNSHINE COAST
JULY 2007
JULY 2007
- 2696 vehicles checked by speed watch
- 29.5 volunteer hours contributed
- 9 volunteers active this month