Just letting you know about an up-coming community event on Prospect Lk Rd Wednesday, Nov. 6th at 7:30am.
Due to huge traffic volumes (I have counted up to 500 cars per hour) during the now-established "rush hours" on Prospect Lk Rd many local cyclists have stopped using the road during peak hours. Most residents have stopped walking, cycling or riding their horses on the road due to safety concerns and have been forced into their cars for safety. And yet the road is part of the Bicycle Touring Route...
Following three recent vehicle crashes, one involving a fatality, residents have organised a community walk/ride on Wednesday, Nov. 6th. People will gather either at the North end(Whitehead Park) or South end(Woodsend Dr.) at 7:30 and walk/ride to meet in the centre of the road at Viaduct Ave. West where media will be invited to listen to stories and hear people speak in support of safer rural streets. Saanich Council and Police have been informed of and invited to attend the event. This is not intended to be an "angry mob" and traffic will in no way be impeded. The goal is simply to remind drivers to be considerate of vulnerable road users and to share the road safely.
Residents welcome any interested members of the wider community to join in the walk/ride. If you've missed those after-work rides down one of our most beautiful rural roads, come out and support the message!
Below is an event invitation with more details:
https://www.mixily.com/event/1488371743498649993
Cheers,
Shawn
Community Event: Prospect Lake Road
Moderator: mfarnham
Re: Community Event: Prospect Lake Road
Just a few stats:
Neighbours have counted cars on Prospect Lk. Rd during rush hours. They count 400-500 cars per hour on Prospect during the morning and afternoon commute.
The legal speed limit is 50kph. The "suggested" safe speed is 30kph.... When I drive at 40kmh I'm aggressively tail-gaited.
The afternoon commute begins around 3pm. I was squeezed into the bushes twice while walking the 300m to my mail box at 3pm last Monday. I've been sworn and yelled at to "Get the Hell out of the way, it's rush hour!" while walking to the mailbox at 3:15 in the afternoon.
There have been 18 vehicle crashes on the stretch between Munn and West Burnside in the past 14 months, including the recent fatal crash.
Even with my skills and experience, I frequently call home for a lift from The Nest rather than risk riding the rest of the way home (I live on PLR between Burnside and Munn). My neighbours simply don't walk or ride bikes any more. They're too scared.
Prospect Lake Road isn't the only rural road that's become unsafe. It's a big problem that requires coordinated efforts to solve. This event is simply intended to remind drivers using the back roads to slow down and expect to see vulnerable users on the roads. On roads without sidewalks, the road is the community's sidewalk. We'd like drivers to remember that.
Please join in on Nov. 6th if you can!
Neighbours have counted cars on Prospect Lk. Rd during rush hours. They count 400-500 cars per hour on Prospect during the morning and afternoon commute.
The legal speed limit is 50kph. The "suggested" safe speed is 30kph.... When I drive at 40kmh I'm aggressively tail-gaited.
The afternoon commute begins around 3pm. I was squeezed into the bushes twice while walking the 300m to my mail box at 3pm last Monday. I've been sworn and yelled at to "Get the Hell out of the way, it's rush hour!" while walking to the mailbox at 3:15 in the afternoon.
There have been 18 vehicle crashes on the stretch between Munn and West Burnside in the past 14 months, including the recent fatal crash.
Even with my skills and experience, I frequently call home for a lift from The Nest rather than risk riding the rest of the way home (I live on PLR between Burnside and Munn). My neighbours simply don't walk or ride bikes any more. They're too scared.
Prospect Lake Road isn't the only rural road that's become unsafe. It's a big problem that requires coordinated efforts to solve. This event is simply intended to remind drivers using the back roads to slow down and expect to see vulnerable users on the roads. On roads without sidewalks, the road is the community's sidewalk. We'd like drivers to remember that.
Please join in on Nov. 6th if you can!
Re: Community Event: Prospect Lake Road
YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST.
Thanks so very, very much to John, Rolf, Andrew, Geoff, Dave, and Martin (I may have missed some, I was busy) for coming out today to ride with me and my neighbours. Mike Richards and Rui Bautista were also there. A few others rode by as we were gathering but had places to go but I saw you!
Wasn't it cool to have our own police escort?
There's going to be some media coverage by CHEK, CTV, Saanich News, CBC and CFAX.
Thanks again, friends!
Shawn
Thanks so very, very much to John, Rolf, Andrew, Geoff, Dave, and Martin (I may have missed some, I was busy) for coming out today to ride with me and my neighbours. Mike Richards and Rui Bautista were also there. A few others rode by as we were gathering but had places to go but I saw you!
Wasn't it cool to have our own police escort?
There's going to be some media coverage by CHEK, CTV, Saanich News, CBC and CFAX.
Thanks again, friends!
Shawn
Re: Community Event: Prospect Lake Road
There are pictures from the event on Dropbox at <https://www.dropbox.com/sh/anjga7rgwnca ... qJLva?dl=0>.
Re: Community Event: Prospect Lake Road
Brilliant photos! Thank you, John.
Re: Community Event: Prospect Lake Road
- Thank you TSC!
Re: Community Event: Prospect Lake Road
David Dallin
Re: Community Event: Prospect Lake Road
The Saanich police seem to have published data that CHEK News is using to suggest that maybe speed isn't such a big issue. These data--seemingly from a Speed Reader Board at a single location on the road--show that people are driving well below the speed limit on average (ON THAT PRECISE SECTION OF ROAD).
It's completely nuts to draw conclusions about whether people are driving too fast on Prospect Lake Road, based on a Speed Reader Board at a single location. 1) Speed Reader Boards (these are the roadside LED signs that tell you how fast you're driving) tend to cause people to hit their brakes, even if they're already below the speed limit, so data from them tend to show a downward biased average speed; and 2) The board could be right around a sharp bend. It could be in reality that the average speed on the road is 60km/h with an average top speed of 75, but people slow down in certain sections of the road, including, possibly, where the SRB was. The police may even have placed the SRB in what they viewed as a particularly dangerous section of the road, which--if drivers have any desire for self-preservation--would be a section they would tend to slow down for.
Ugh...lousy inference from bad data. Yuck. Eew.
Apologies for the apparent digression from cycling, but stupid statistical inference==>stupid policy decisions, and these do eventually affect people like cyclists and the residents along PLR.
Martin
It's completely nuts to draw conclusions about whether people are driving too fast on Prospect Lake Road, based on a Speed Reader Board at a single location. 1) Speed Reader Boards (these are the roadside LED signs that tell you how fast you're driving) tend to cause people to hit their brakes, even if they're already below the speed limit, so data from them tend to show a downward biased average speed; and 2) The board could be right around a sharp bend. It could be in reality that the average speed on the road is 60km/h with an average top speed of 75, but people slow down in certain sections of the road, including, possibly, where the SRB was. The police may even have placed the SRB in what they viewed as a particularly dangerous section of the road, which--if drivers have any desire for self-preservation--would be a section they would tend to slow down for.
Ugh...lousy inference from bad data. Yuck. Eew.
Apologies for the apparent digression from cycling, but stupid statistical inference==>stupid policy decisions, and these do eventually affect people like cyclists and the residents along PLR.
Martin
Re: Community Event: Prospect Lake Road
You have hit the nail on the head, Martin. The speed reader signs are located at the most dangerous locations, where they measure speed of vehicles at their slowest speeds. It's also important to realize that the data from these readers represents the 85th percentile. So the (possibly most dangerous) 15 percent isn't included in the data.
Anyone who drives, walks or bikes on PLR knows the reality. Too many cars driving too fast. Unfortunately, Mayor Haynes said on TV that Saanich doesn't act based on "anecdotal" reports. So basically, the voices of people in the community do not influence decisions. His statement was pretty dismissive and discouraging. I would say that 31 crashes in 16 months is evidence that something is wrong. I'd say that is factual, not anecdotal.
One of the event organizers is submitting a Freedom of Information Request today to get all of the raw data for speed readers on this road for the past year.
I think that road safety is certainly a cycling issue. I would like all of us to feel safe using our rural roads, whether we are in a car, on a bike, or on foot.
Anyone who drives, walks or bikes on PLR knows the reality. Too many cars driving too fast. Unfortunately, Mayor Haynes said on TV that Saanich doesn't act based on "anecdotal" reports. So basically, the voices of people in the community do not influence decisions. His statement was pretty dismissive and discouraging. I would say that 31 crashes in 16 months is evidence that something is wrong. I'd say that is factual, not anecdotal.
One of the event organizers is submitting a Freedom of Information Request today to get all of the raw data for speed readers on this road for the past year.
I think that road safety is certainly a cycling issue. I would like all of us to feel safe using our rural roads, whether we are in a car, on a bike, or on foot.
Re: Community Event: Prospect Lake Road
I would like to show you a sample of what our advocacy and actions have achieved. The text below is copied from a page we used to plan our community event, written by one of the people who helped plan the event. I have heard the same sentiment from others in the area since we began working on this project:
I agree! My husband, XXXX, suggested a while ago that when we retire he wants to start riding our bikes from Burnside to the Elementary at 7:30am and then from the Elementary to Burnside at 4pm! We used to curse the bicyclists on our road, but now we think they can be part of a solution.
I agree! My husband, XXXX, suggested a while ago that when we retire he wants to start riding our bikes from Burnside to the Elementary at 7:30am and then from the Elementary to Burnside at 4pm! We used to curse the bicyclists on our road, but now we think they can be part of a solution.