Kids are at risk getting to and from Cordova Bay Elementary School, say parents, with the danger coming on all sides.
Karen Short feels her nine-year-old son should be able to walk to school, but a lack of pedestrian infrastructure on busy Cordova Bay Road near the school keeps him on the other side of the road.
“It’s been frustrating,” she said. “I live 300 metres from the school and I can’t have my child walk safely to school.”
In an age where parents are frequently accused of being “helicopter parents,” she wants him to have independence and he does as long as he stays on the side of the road where his Matticks Wood home lies.
On a given school day during drop off Short sees mayhem as vehicles line both gravel sides of the road – despite no parking signs – clogging the path for pedestrians to get to the only nearby crosswalk at Fenn Avenue at the south side of the school. Those drivers are also generally dropping young students off into that same traffic-laden scenario, she said.
Saanich does have a project underway that includes a crosswalk for the north end of the block.
The project will see the installation of sidewalk, curb and bike lane on the west side of the road, with curb and multi-use pathway (including bike lane) on the east side of Cordova Bay Road. Several new sidewalks are planned with raised crosswalks on Cordova Bay at Fenn, Rambler and Walema roads. Rambler will also be realigned for a shorter crossing with new ramps.
The $2-million project design is nearly complete with Saanich anticipating tendering in spring 2025.
In the interim, Short sees mayhem and potential harm every morning and afternoon. She would like to see some form of traffic calming in the interim, before tragedy strikes the community. She’s open to any form of calming and hopes Saanich, the school district and the school itself will consider crossing guards once something is in place.
Short readily admits there are fewer kids on the side of the community her family lives on. Many more travel from the other side of the school where concerns over safety for those commuting by foot were heightened with the recent removal of stop signs on Lochside Drive at Wilema Road. With stop signs on Lochside removed, the once four-way stop is now a two-way stop for drivers on Wilema.
The concerns prompted an online petition that garnered 300 signatures within three days.
“Cordova Bay Elementary is in a residential area where stop signs help control traffic. Their removal increases the risk of accidents, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that around two-thirds of pedestrian fatalities occur at non-intersections and unmarked crosswalks,” reads the petition. “Restoring the stop signs would improve safety not only for children but also for cyclists, seniors, and other residents. It is a simple yet essential action to protect our community.”
In a similar time-frame, the District of Saanich and the mayor’s office started to see an influx of letters outlining similar concerns, said Mayor Dean Murdock.
There is “a bit of confusion about the change,” he said, after joining parents and kids at the intersection on Thursday (Oct. 10) during the morning rush.
“The concern for me was making sure that kids and parents can get across Lochside safely. Clearly, there were a number of kids and parents making their way to and from the school,” he told the Saanich News. “There’s some work to do to make it as safe as it can be for people out there.”
There are future improvements planned for Lochside – a part of the regional trail traditionally busy with walking, rolling and driving users – to slow vehicles and make it safer for all users. Some of those improvements require larger changes and those take longer to deliver,” the mayor said.
While the petition specifically calls for a return of the stop signs on Lochside Drive, Saanich will look at the impacts of the change and consider options.
“There are future improvements coming to Lochside to make it safer, to slow vehicles down to make it safer for everybody using it. In the meantime we want to make sure it’s safe for folks to get through there,” Murdock said.
“I’ve got kids of my own, both of whom walk or take the bus to school. … As a parent, you certainly want (to know) that your kid is going to come home at the end of the day. Road safety is our priority and we’re making sure that we’re making it safer for everybody.”
