The response of Quadra-Cedar Hill residents to changes to the intersection of Palmer and Cumberland has surprised Saanich Coun. Vicki Sanders.
The founding member of the Quadra-Cedar Hill Community Association says the uncontrolled intersection with no stop signs - a rarity but somewhat explainable as it’s set near the dead ends of Palmer and Cumberland - has been a topic of discussion for two decades. But she was of the understanding that the neighbouring community was on board.
“It’s always been a problem, this isn’t new,” Sanders said. “We met [with residents] there last year, engineering was involved and they came up with that option. It went into Saanich [Engineering’s] five-year plan.”
Sanders added that a letter went out to residents in July 2016 from Saanich Engineering that explained the intersection would get stop signs on Cumberland.
Work started last week to install the stop signs which included significant pavement removal as the once-sleepy intersection was quite large.
Ironically, that extra space could have provided the necessary room for a roundabout, said Sylvia Hosie, who lives on the southwest corner.
“The whole point was to slow down the traffic on Palmer,” Hosie said. “But it’s doing the opposite.”
Hosie, like Glen Plummer, who lives kitty corner from the intersection with his family, believe the cut-through traffic on Palmer is too fast. Plummer did not meet with Sanders last year. Regardless, he said he and other neighbours had hoped the stop signs would go in on Palmer, not on Cumberland.
Even without the stop signs, Hosie says she’s already noticed the traffic is getting faster on Palmer, and that she wasn’t aware there were stop signs coming to Cumberland.
“It’s a busy corner of people with strollers, dogs and cyclists, and it’s not just a matter of slowing the traffic,” Hosie said. “A shrub in the middle would have done it, we all would have had to slow down at the intersection but now it’s more narrow, and cars coming up Palmer can see that there are stop signs.”
However, Sanders said it’s a consistent plan and the residents should give it a go. There are stop signs on Cumberland crossing Palmer, Union and Reynolds.
“It’s my understanding the stop sign will be in a proper place, at the road edge, and it will be more apparent to motorists.”
reporter@saanichnews.com