Traffic

The traffic committee works with the residents and Municipality to resolve issues of concern around traffic in Cordova Bay. If you are interested in traffic-related matters in our area, consider becoming an active CBA member and working with this committee.
The Traffic Chair is: Graham Shorthill shorthill@shaw.ca

Safety-first concepts expected soon

Hope is being expressed that concepts for safety-first improvements for the dangerous intersection of Patricia Bay Highway and Sayward Road will be ready to take to the public for input in January, 2012.
“The idea would be to take ‘ideas’ forward,” said Coun. Judy Brownoff who, with Coun. Leif Wergeland, represents Saanich on the Sayward Safety Working Group. The group was initiated in 2011 by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and also includes representation from the Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs (CBA), business owners at the intersection, and Saanich South MLA Lana Popham.
Coun. Brownoff told the CBA there are “no real designs” at this stage but “a couple of concepts” including lengthening of the merge lane for Sayward Road traffic turning northwards on the highway. An interchange is not being considered.
The CBA has been campaigning for several years for safety-first improvements at the intersection which is one of the five most-dangerous intersections on the south Island.
“The goal of the Working Group is to develop recommendations to improve the safety of this intersection that can be implemented in the near future,” said Mark Traverso, operations manager for the Saanich Area Office of the ministry’s Vancouver Island District.
By Roger Stonebanks, former CBA President.

Let the community consultation begin

Saanich council sent a unanimous message on July 12, 2010, to the Ministry of Transportation - it's time - now - to communicate and consult with the community about safety-first changes to the dangerous intersection of Patricia Bay Highway and Sayward Road in Cordova Bay.
"Council has in the past relayed to the Ministry that a community consultation should be commenced," said Couns. Judy Brownoff and Leif Wergeland (who is a Cordova Bay resident) in a report that was supported by council.
"This has not happened. In fact, the community association feels quite strongly that an advisory committee should be established with the ministry, Saanich and the community to start these discussions."
Council agreed that community consultation should commence and supported the establishment of an advisory committee to start discussions on short-term solutions to problems at the intersection and will so inform the ministry.
At a standing-room-only public meeting in Cordova Bay on June 15, 2010, organized by Saanich South MLA Lana Popham, one resident asked if the ministry would be willing to form a consultation committee. "We'll take that under consideration," replied Patrick Livolsi, the ministry's regional director for the south coast of BC.
The Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs has been waging a safety-first campaign for this intersection for the past year. For more information,and to read recommendations from the Opus Hamilton traffic report for this intersection, please click here: Pat Bay/Sayward intersection safety issues.

Please help by filling out a short but very important survey (click here). It's halfway down the page you come to.

Traffic transition in Cordova Bay

What’s next for Cordova Bay?
With any physical change in the community there comes an associated traffic problem. With several significant projects on the horizon, we can expect traffic issues to be a consistent theme in the future.
The major buzz words for this decade are: “sustainable development” and “livability.” For Cordova Bay that means controlling the inevitable increase in housing density and developing a village core to attract residents and reduce the need for car trips to Broadmead and Royal Oak.

What can be done to address traffic increase and safety issue in Cordova Bay? To read the full article by CBA Traffic Chair, Graham Shorthill: please click here.

Part of the sidewalk that has been built on Cordova Bay Road,
south of Haliburton Road.

Sidewalk looking north from Sunnygrove Terrace up Cordova Bay Road.

Looking south from Sunnygrove Terrace
down Cordova Bay Road

Progress on problem corner

Saanich has posted Slow to 30 kilometre an hour signs on both approaches to the problem corner of Sayward/Hunt/Fowler roads.

This action follows a public-safety campaign, launched by the Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs (CBA), responding to concerns of residents because of frequent speeding by motorists resulting in several accidents with injuries and property damage as well as near-accidents.

The CBA has proposed that a three-way stop be installed with a redesigned T-intersection and will continue to press for this change.

Photo below: Parking in Cordova Bay for the
Labour-Day Regatta in 1946. Photo ID 1989-008-014 courtesy of Saanich Archives.
Photo below: Horse-drawn Cedar Hill School bus and children from Blenkinsop Road and Cordova Bay circa 191-. Photo ID 1989-008-029 courtesy of Saanich Archives.
Any which way!

Please click here for a wonderful history and pictures
of Cordova Bay from the Saanich Heritage Register 2008