There’s a new look to the Churchill Drive entrance at Mount Douglas Park.
Four different “thresholds,” which are circular in pattern and coloured to resemble red bricks, have been installed on the pavement. The first is a complete circle, then a half circle beside the kiosk, and two more half circles under the oak leaf gates which keep automobiles out until noon each day.
Rumble 'strips' have been installed on Churchill Drive at the entrance to the park. They serve as a reminder that your vehicle is entering a special place. Slow is the pace in the park .
— Friends of Mount Douglas Park (@MountDougPark) March 23, 2019
More photos: https://t.co/JiugH06hgq#MtDougPark #Saanich pic.twitter.com/eGi7P7lV0S
The thresholds are also considered rumble strips, as they create a noticeable bump for drivers passing over them, though they’re not particularly rumbly, said Darrell Wick, president of the Friends of the Mount Douglas Society.
“This has been a long time coming,” Wick said. “The idea is to slow the drivers as they come off the Shelbourne Speedway into this premier park of Saanich.”
The brick-colouring, and the fact that the thresholds are elevated, creates an optical effect for drivers, Wick said.
The project started as a partnership between Saanich, who paid for and installed the thermoplastic tiles, and the Friends of Mount Doug. It was first identified and confirmed in 2012 for the Friends’ 20th anniversary.
“Initially we considered rumble strips but we had to limit the amount of friction to [ensure access ability] for bicycles and wheelchairs,” Wick said.
The tiles themselves are made of a highly durable thermoplastic. A heater is used to scorch the road and a template is laid into the road, to which the tiles are bonded to by heat.
It’s also the latest improvement to the Churchill parking lot following Saanich’s review of parking at Mount Douglas that began a few years ago.
“Out of that we added a disability parking spot, ‘no-parking’ signs along Churchill where people parked in the ditch and blocked the road, and beginning this week it’s my understanding Saanich will begin to enforce those regulations.”