BY NORMAN HOTSON
Your article on Infrastructure (“LCC targets six of Ganges’ worst intersections”) outlines several options for improving pedestrian safety in Ganges.
The question of comfort and safety is of utmost concern in a bustling “downtown” environment. Roundabouts were apparently recommended for two intersections to calm speeding traffic and prioritize pedestrian safety.
These engineered solutions do have their place but not in a busy, urban precinct.
Roundabouts require a large, flat land area to accommodate the turning radii of large vehicles. They are not conducive to a hilly condition like the intersection of Upper and Lower Ganges Roads. They are also one of the worst designs for pedestrian priority and comfort due to the continuously moving traffic and the long distance to walk across the full intersection.
At the Centennial Park location, a far better solution would be to turn Lower Ganges Road into a right-angled “T” intersection with the Fulford-Ganges Road. This approach would simplify the current confusion of pedestrian crossing points, shorten walking distances and allow for better access to both sides of Fulford Ganges Road.
The functioning and character of a “village” benefits from having a long-term vision in place. Ganges should be the subject of a comprehensive urban design study involving planning, landscape, transportation and engineering inputs. This team could develop a strategy for streets and open spaces in the village with specific ideas for urban design, including street geometry and widths (most of Ganges’ streets are too wide), crosswalk locations, increased curbside parking, street tree and planting areas, lighting and signage concepts.
A phased implementation of changes to improve the village environment can then take place over time, potentially funded through government programs.
Let’s not jump into thinking this is simply a crosswalk problem.
The author is an urbanist and retired AIBC architect in Vancouver.