Re: “Traffic calming measures for Drinkwater Road ridiculous”, (Citizen, Dec. 23)
I have to agree with Gardner Fraser, “Have they been into the Christmas cheer at the North Cowichan meetings?”
To install the kinds of traffic calming measures in 2017 on Drinkwater Road, is using 1950s thought to solve a problem North Cowichan council has created. As well, the population growth moving into the Cowichan Valley has added to this problem.
Somewhere in the last few years North Cowichan council has given the green light to a large retail and commercial area on the east end of Drinkwater Road, as well as the green light for a large recycle and garbage facility on the west end of Drinkwater Road. In the engineering process, I’m sure there had to be some dialogue on how the western communities would access the new Home Depot retail area, as well as how the citizens of Duncan would access the garbage facilities at Bings, through the easiest, straightforward way.
It appears there is a gross short-sighted vision with regards to future growth in the Cowichan Valley, and the means of handling this future growth in traffic. This short-sighted response will just push the traffic to other roads and side roads that connect west.
As for the residents on Drinkwater Road, they have the same problems as people that live on any of the well travelled roads in the Cowichan Valley: Cowichan Lake Road, Maple Bay Road, Sherman Road, Herd Road; they all deal with these problems.
I live on the west side of Duncan, on Cowichan Valley Road, that sometimes sees cars travelling close to highway speeds. When I look at this problem, I think that they need to spend the tax dollars and widen Drinkwater from Somenos to Highway 18 and keep traffic going the most efficient and straightforward way.
Bill Snider
Duncan