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THE NEWS, Friday, July 8, 2011 •
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Family Place spurs city road upgrades Parksville has plans for new traffic lights, turning lanes at Bay Street and the old Island Highway
With work on the school district’s Family Place project beginning, the City of Parksville will begin interim traffic improvements along Highway 19A. “We’ve known for a long time it’s a problem traffic area,” acting mayor Chris Burger told THE NEWS about the area between Moilliet and Pym streets, as detailed in a recent report from staff. Council voted to hire a consultant to design two new traffic signals and related road improvements on the highway as recommended in the report by director of engineering and operations Robert Harary, which was based on a traffic study by the Boulevard Transportation Group. “It’s important to realize we have to do something to manage the traffic in the short term, but no one is saying that’s the end game,” Burger said.
AUREN RUVINSKY PHOTO
By AUREN RUVINSKY NEWS REPORTER
ProPacific Restorations during demolition work on the school district site to make way for the coming Family Place project. They were removing asbestos and lead paint from the old buildings. He stressed the council’s motion also directs staff to hire a consultant to develop a phased improvement plan toward the ultimate goal of widening the highway in the 20-Year Capital Expenditure Plan. The Boulevard study looked at the current situation adjacent to the School District 69 (Qualicum) property at the corner
of Bay Avenue, and the impact of the imminent $7 million Family Place development. The city has intended to address the traffic issues at least since their 2002 Transportation Master Plan, but the preferred method is to fund road work with the development cost charges (DCCs) collected from adjacent
projects, giving the city little influence over the timing. The Family Place, a joint project of three provincial ministries — education, health, and children and family development — made traffic a more urgent issue, though the report projects it will only add 27 trips per peak hour. Because the project doesn’t need
re-zoning, has paid the DCCs, received the building permits and is being done by senior government on their own land, the city has minimal leverage. The city’s 2010 Transportation Master Plan gives the current operating level of service on that stretch of road an “F” rating on a scale of A to F — F being the worst.
While traffic planners try to avoid “T” intersections without signals, the recent traffic report points out there are five in the space of 500 metres on the two-lane segment of the main road through town, which is otherwise at least four-lanes. The troubled stretch also lacks turning lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, or space for transit stops. While the experts agree, as the report puts it, “The ultimate and best solution is to widen Highway 19A in this area with new traffic signals at appropriate intersections with proper provisions for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit stops,” the funds are not available so they reviewed interim options. They briefly considered the options of roundabouts on the highway, upgrading the signal at Moilliet Street and extending Dogwood Street through two private properties to a new intersection at Moilliet. SEE
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Courtenay gas war not likely to spread to Parksville By STEVEN HEYWOOD NEWS EDITOR A gas war in Courtenay has some drivers in the mid-Island wondering if it’s going to spread and affect prices in Parksville and Qualicum Beach, but at least one company says that’s not likely to happen. Deidre Reid, a spokesperson for Chevron Canada out of Vancouver, said a
new seller of fuel in Courtenay (Cosco) entered the market with low, introductory gas prices. As of earlier this week, the price per litre there was 107.2 to 107.4 cents. Reid said those prices are well below the normal rate elsewhere in Vancouver Island — such as the 127.1 cents per litre in Parksville and similar pricing in Nanaimo. She added
she doesn’t expect the lower prices in Courtenay to last long. “Due to the new entrant, sales are at low prices,” she said, “so we have to keep up with those for our customers there.” Gas in the range of 125.9 cents per litre and up is in the range of normal, she said, taking into consideration crude oil costs and government taxes — in-
cluding the recently increased carbon tax in B.C. that adds another 1.11 cents to the price if one litre of regular gasoline. That hike on July 1, means the carbon taxes on a litre of gas in B.C. amount to 5.56 cents. On July 1, 2012, it will go up again, to 6.67 cents per litre. Reid said in the short term, gas prices will stay
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very competitive in Courtenay. “It’s hard to say how long it’ll last, but economic realities means that it probably won’t hit $1 (per litre) or lower again. “So, definitely fill up when you see those lower prices.” For current gas prices on the Island or just about anywhere in B.C., see www. bcgasprices.com.
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News Briefs RE-AUDITION SET FOR ECHO PLAYERS QUALICUM BEACH — ECHO Players is re-opening its auditions for their upcoming play, Laura. The local theatre company is seeking men and woman, age 17 and up, who would enjoy the chance to act in an American detective story. New actors are always welcome. Auditions will be held Thursday, July 14 and Friday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m. both nights, at ECHO’s rehearsal facility, 3125 Van Horne Road in Hilliers. Laura is set to run Oct. 13 to 30. For details, contact Werner Koch at 250-954-0079 or Linda Attley at 250-752-2536. — NEWS Staff
CORRECTIONS • The Coast Guard wanted to be clear they did not send a lone individual to a boating incident near Ballenas Island last Sunday in which a 54-year-old man died. A total of three Coast Guard boats attended the scene and there were pleasure craft there ahead of them. THE NEWS regrets any confusion. • In the last edition we referred to Dave Wright as the president of the Oceanside Arts Council. He is actually the office administrator now.
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