LCC targets six of Ganges’ worst intersections

Traffic experts are proposing roundabouts be built at two of six identified intersections in Ganges, part of a laundry list of recommendations in a recently completed analysis of village crosswalks.

And Salt Spring’s Local Community Commission (LCC) has approved the Ganges Crosswalk Project’s draft report, which targets nearly $1.2 million in work on those intersections based on safety risk and pedestrian demand, according to early cost estimates prepared for commissioners.

A conceptual design — notably from the 2023 Salt Spring Island Cycling Safety Review — was presented for one of the two roundabouts suggested, offered as a solution to pedestrian-vehicle conflicts that take place where Fulford-Ganges and Lower Ganges roads meet fronting Centennial Park and the fire hall. The draft analysis report also encouraged a roundabout at the intersection of Upper and Lower Ganges roads, again to calm speeding traffic and prioritize pedestrian safety. Neither roundabout was priced out, although preliminary cost estimates for more modest improvements near those intersections, such as realignments and pedestrian refuge islands, still rang in at $277,400 and $174,800 respectively.

But islanders should temper their expectations, according to Capital Regional District (CRD) staff, who noted the analysis was intended mostly to inform future planning, rather than to signal road crews were on their way; and with a local budget for those projects sitting at just $100,000 — and even then, pending ICBC funding and Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MoTT) approvals — in all likelihood there may be, at most, a single crosswalk tackled this year.

“There are only two projects in the six that are under $100,000,” said Salt Spring senior CRD manager Dan Ovington, who laid out the study’s conclusions for the Local Community Commission (LCC) Thursday, April 16. “If we’re successful with the grant we’d be looking at those two intersections and identifying which one we can do within that funding.”

From there, Ovington said, Salt Spring staff would put together a capital plan that identifies “two, maybe three” of the intersections that could be built over the next few years. 

Of the six, the least expensive project — and most likely to be completed within that budget — is improvement of an existing crossing of Lower Ganges Road at Village Terrace across from Pioneer Village and other senior residential communities. Traffic passing that intersection was found to be exceeding the 50 km/h speed limit about 46 per cent of the time, according to data collected for the study. With an hourly pedestrian volume of 16 and an average 8,750 vehicles going by on a busy summer day, the study recommended a refreshed crosswalk include rectangular flashing beacons to improve visibility. The Class D estimate for that work came in at $77,400.

For $93,300, a proposal for the intersection at Lower Ganges and Atkins Road would finally give pedestrians there a signed and marked crosswalk. Similarly, a new crossing at Lower Ganges and Blain roads would help people crossing in and around Country Grocer for an estimated price of $127,100. And at the high end, a long list of improvements for crossings at Lower Ganges Road where it splits Hereford Avenue and Purvis Lane frame the most comprehensive and expensive project, estimated at $397,600. 

Regardless, commissioners weren’t ready to commit on April 16 to starting with the least expensive projects first, nor necessarily to settle on $100,000 as a ceiling for the coming year’s intersection budget.

“We as a group will have to decide which of the six priorities we believe are most important,” said LCC member Gayle Baker. “There may be one [costing more] that is way more important to the island.”

“Each of these projects will require a permit through MoTT,” said Ovington. “And I think we need clarification on the funding that’s actually available in order to identify our priorities.”

The crosswalk study took place last year, and in addition to collecting traffic data incorporated community engagement, including in-person discussions during site visits, an online comment form that received 92 submissions from 75 participants and a public open house in September, according to staff. Feedback consistently identified concerns related to vehicle speeds, failure to yield, poor crosswalk visibility, accessibility barriers and informal pedestrian crossings near key destinations such as Centennial Park schools, grocery stores and senior housing.