By MIKE STACEY
A few weeks ago I found myself stopped at the tail end of a line of cars waiting patiently (?) for our turn to run the gauntlet through the “Make Ganges Hill Grade Again” project.
I had a bit of time to think about the fun and games over the past year. It soon occurred to me that since I was stopped at the bottom of Wildwood Crescent staring at an endless river of brake lights, I had a LOT of time to think.
“So what have we learned?” I asked myself. First, there are a lot of cars on Salt Spring. Secondly, if one of them stops, there is a rapid buildup of automotive clutter behind it. Since most of the cars on the island are somewhere else at that moment, it indicates that there are ONE HELL OF A LOT OF CARS around here.
But why the continuous back-up, snarl-up, foul-up? Other communities don’t have to deal with all this. In most areas, construction projects use a novel practice commonly referred to as a “detour.” By this modern miracle, traffic is directed “the other way.”
We ain’t got no other way, with the possible exception of the Polar Route over the Khyber Pass between Wilkie Way and Juniper Place. Once a favourite of inebriated motorists seeking to avoid the attention of the local constabulary, it is now gated off. I would hope and assume that first responders have a key to get through that gate. Failing that, they could just take a run at it.
Diverting any amount of general traffic that way would probably have made things worse. Contrary to popular opinion, traffic control through the work area has been done well, when you consider what they have to work with. Herding people is like herding sheep, the only difference being that, although a bit slower on the uptake, sheep are more inclined to follow direction and it would never occur to them to question authority.
Some people have asked, “Why don’t they just let a dozen or so cars go one way, then the same amount the other way?” That would make things worse, because every time you reverse direction, the one lane section has to empty, then fill up again and that takes time, so the less often it happens the better.
Amber, the delicate young lady supervising traffic control, has kept things going as well as possible, and has a real gift for dealing with motorists who won’t play nice. With all the holes that have been dug up there, the bodies will never be found. (Helpful hint: Honking your horn DOES NOT HELP!)
I have been pleasantly surprised by the cooperation of drivers letting others into the flow of traffic, but in spite of this, the employees of the contractor have reported they have never seen the level of entitlement and attitude displayed here while working anywhere else. WE’RE NUMBER ONE!
Last time there was a big paving operation here the same thing happened, but before the last patch of blacktop had cooled to room temperature everyone forgot about it and carried on. The same thing will happen again this time. We will toss all memory of the World-Class Gong Show into that little corner of the brain that can’t remember why we came into the kitchen and will get on with our very important lives. Bypass? We don’t need a bypass!
I should note here that if I get stuck on the hill it ain’t no big deal because the chances of me accomplishing anything of a productive nature that day are pretty slim anyway. But think about all the drivers of trucks, couriers, etc. who work on a tight schedule and have limited time before catching the boat. Just because they’re finished here doesn’t mean they are done for the day.
We have been shown once more what will happen if anything of a disastrous nature should occur between Seaview and Beddis, but aviating swine will be pelted with precipitating toads long before anything is done about it. That being said, is there anything we can do to increase the efficiency of traffic flow and pedestrian safety? Yes. Let’s do it MY way!
Many years ago, John Stepaniuk, in his role as highways foreman, took it upon himself to extend Jackson Avenue across the swamp to Seaview to provide an alternate route through town. It is not clear if he asked for permission to do so or just went ahead with it, but I like to think it was the latter. John was one of those guys that we could really use now. The route he created is used by school buses as well as commercial and passenger vehicles. Going down Atkins Road, then Rainbow Road, Jackson and Seaview is a popular way to get through Ganges and avoid the Looney Tune Zone. I think we need to make that the easiest way to go.
With the new fire hall located where it is, opening up that route makes sense. Reducing the speed limit through Ganges was done very quickly because of the “golden ratio” of complaints silenced per dollar spent. A couple of signs swapped out and there you go. Giving vehicles on John’s bypass the right of way, in both directions, unhindered by stop signs, would reduce traffic past Country Grocer and all the way through Ganges to a considerable extent. The only real snag is getting onto Fulford-Ganges Road from Seaview. Visibility is lousy, but maybe a merge lane would work. The changes in traffic flow could be done one intersection at a time.
If I was in charge, things around here would be a lot different. It wouldn’t be any better, but it would be different!
The writer is a longtime Salt Spring Island resident.