Marine Drive Traffic Hazard
Exchange between Jim Shepard and MoT
From: Jim Shepard [mailto:jfcshep@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2016 2:29 PM
To: Legault, Don TRAN:EX
Subject: Granthams Landing Speed limit
Hello Don
I am writing on behalf of the residents of Granthams Landing. At a recent resident meeting, the concern for children safety on Marine Drive was raised. During the summer ,there is a considerable number of children crossing Marine Drive on their way to swim at the community wharf. The speed limit of 50k seems excessive especially at top of the steep hill that has limited visibility. A 30k limit ( like at Gibsons swim raft ) would seem to be more reasonable Our dog was run down a number of years ago but I did not report it.
Today, however, the growing level of children going down to the wharf raises this concern to higher level. Could you please have someone visit Granthams Landing to access the reason for our concern.
Your assistance would be greatly appreciated
Thank You very much
Jim Shepard OBC
On Jun 15, 2016, at 4:03 PM, Legault, Don TRAN:EX <Don.Legault@gov.bc.ca> wrote:
Jim
Thank you for your inquiry about the speed limit on Marine Drive.
The Ministry generally does not lower speed limits below 50 Km/h on collector roads, as they are intended to collect and move traffic through an area.
I will ask my Sunshine Coast Area Manager, Colin Midgley to review the signage in the area of Harvey Rd and Marine Drive. He will look at the existing signs and make recommendations for any improvements.
If we require Traffic Engineer approval to install any of his recommendations, I will work on this.
Thank you again for your inquiry.
Don Legault
Operations Manager
Howe Sound and Sunshine Coast
From: Jim Shepard [mailto:jfcshep@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2016 4:25 AM
To: Legault, Don TRAN:EX
Subject: Re: Granthams Landing Speed limit
Hi Don
We are now in the high season for children crossing Marine Drive to go swimming at the Granthams Swimming Wharf. The 50km speed limit there is truly ” speeding” at that spot as it is at the bottom of a steep hill coming down from Harvey Road. I actually drove down that hill at 50 km early in the morning at low traffic time and really felt like I was I “speeding ” in limited vision area. The community have lost several puppies to cars over the years. We are certainly concerned about the children who have to cross this road at this point to get down to the wharf.
Thank You for your prompt response to my initial email. In it, you raised a couple of good points. Please let me respond to the two concerns you mentioned:
1) Collector roads don’t usually have speed limits reduced because they are meant to move traffic along. Marine Drive at Granthams used to be the main ferry traffic road that saw all the car ferry traffic that went to upper and lower Gibsons and up the Sunshine Coast. That is no longer true with the addition of the “Upper Road” which takes all the traffic for upper Gibsons and all the rest of Sunshine Coast. Now Marine Drive at Granthams is mainly just for the local traffic to/from lower Gibsons.
2) There is already a reduced traffic sign of 30km on the uphill run from Granthams approaching Harvey Road. This is due to the restricted visibility at the corner as you come up the hill. That same restricted visibility exists as you come down the hill toward the area of children crossing to the Wharf
May I please suggest that the 30km limit now in place for the Harvey Road corner be extended for several hundred feet to protect the children crossing to get to the Granthams Wharf?
Thank You for your consideration
Jim Shepard P Eng. OBC
On Jul 21, 2016, at 3:32 PM, Legault, Don TRAN:EX <Don.Legault@gov.bc.ca> wrote:
Jim
I have forwarded your email on to my Area manager for the Sunshine Coast. He will review the signs in the NB direction on Marine Drive and Harvey Rd to see if we can install a couple of slow tabs on the curve warning signs in this area.
We will also review whether Ped signs should be added to the location.
Marine Drive is a collector road that takes more than just local traffic to and from the Town of Gibsons. Marine Drive does provide an alternate access to Gibsons Landing, as well as to the ferry terminal.
The majority of the traffic coming off the ferry does take the bypass, as they are traveling further up the sunshine coast, or on to Powell River.
Don
From: Jim Shepard <jfcshep@gmail.com> Date: July 22, 2016 at 9:43:41 AM PDT To: “Legault, Don TRAN:EX” <Don.Legault@gov.bc.ca> Cc: “Midgley, Colin TRAN:EX” <Colin.Midgley@gov.bc.ca> Subject: Re: Granthams Landing Speed limit
Hi Don
Thanks for your timely and thoughtful response. Please let Colin know that I would be happy to provide input from families in the area to put their concerns in context. We look to helping if we can.