A stretch of Highway 101 that has seen at least three pedestrian deaths in the past 20 years will see a long-advocated speed reduction this year.
The speed reduction to 60 km/hr from 80 km/hr between the Henry Road and Lower Road intersections west of Gibsons will be preceded by a new pedestrian crossing at Poplars Trailer Park and a new pedestrian traffic signal at Woodcreek Park.
In December, a Sunshine Coast man died after a vehicle struck him on the highway beside the Poplars, renewing local advocacy for a speed reduction along the stretch of highway heavy in pedestrian and vehicle traffic. In 2007, a 12-year-old girl died crossing from the bus stop to the Poplars and in 2016, an 86-year-old woman died crossing from the bus stop at Oceanview Road, the entrance to Woodcreek Park.
The highway changes are coming as a result of a safety review conducted after the incident last December, said a March 3 press release from the NDP Caucus. The review assessed the location –– its condition, speed limit and nearby signs –– to develop upgrades.
"My heart remains heavy for the family and loved ones of the person who tragically passed away this past December," said MLA for Sunshine Coast-Powell River Randene Neill in the press release. "I am grateful for the community and local government's advocacy and the quick work of the Ministry of Transportation to implement these incredibly important upgrades that will help keep people in our communities and visitors to the coast safer."
The pedestrian crossing at the Poplars is expected to be completed this spring and the pedestrian signal at Woodcreek Park's Oceanview Drive is expected to be done in the fall. The speed reduction is to come after those two installations are done, said the release. Also expected are refreshed pavement markings and widened edge lines.
Sunshine Coast Regional District Elphinstone director Donna McMahon thanked the province for taking action but noted that the outcome is after years of "relentless campaigning by community members who want to be able to walk, cycle and catch the bus safely in our neighbourhoods.
"My deepest thanks go to the residents of Poplars and Woodcreek Park, the Elphinstone Community Association, and all the others who have held meetings, phoned, written, and emailed," said McMahon in the press release. "It took a village to build a crosswalk."
Woodcreek Park Community Association president Sandra Cunningham concurs that it took a great deal of community advocacy to get to this point. Reducing the highway speed limit and having a crosswalk installed have been among the community association's biggest concerns since its inception in 2018. "It took a lot of people in a lot of communities to have this happen," she said.
Cunningham says she's "over the moon" that the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT) is installing crossings at both neighbourhoods and not just picking one. The two neighbourhoods combined contain more than 300 residences and residents cross the highway to reach the northbound bus stops.
Now, for Cunningham, who is encouraged such movement happened soon after Neill's election last fall, follow-through is critical. "I'm encouraged to know that it's in the works but I'll celebrate when I see it."
Signalization in Sechelt
Farther up the highway, more traffic improvements are coming this year.
The full signalization of the Highway 101-Shorncliffe Avenue intersection in Sechelt is coming, along with turning lanes, said the press release. Construction there is expected to be done by the end of the year.
Both the Gibsons and Sechelt mayors weighed in with their thanks in the press release, noting the years of citizen and council advocacy in both instances.
Elphinstone
In related Elphinstone traffic news, McMahon shared news that the MOTT recently installed a four-way stop at the intersection of Pratt and Chaster Roads, near Cedar Grove Elementary School.
Gleefully sharing the developments (including the highway speed reduction) in her monthly newsletter, McMahon said, "That's two of my top three local road safety concerns addressed in one fell swoop!"
For travellers seeking information on work planned and under way on the highway, visit DriveBC.
