Hurricanes head south
Robotics team heads to international competition. Page A3
NEWS: Miracle Weekend comes home to Oak Bay /A5 ARTS: High school artists on professional display /A16 SPORTS: Memorial arena prepares for the world /A20
OAK BAYNEWS Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Offer Expires April 9, 2013
BY6 www.oakbaynews.com
Oh what a beautiful morning A couple is silhouetted by the rising sun as they walk along the sidewalk on Turkey Head watching a sailing ship offshore. Don Denton/News staff
Spend on potholes, not plug-ins says resident Smaller roads typically patched, not repaved
Kyle Wells News staff
When Kelvin Russell opened the Oak Bay News to find a picture of Mayor Nils Jensen with the district’s new electric vehicle charging station, at a cost of $2,500 to the district, all he could think about was potholes. “It’s falling apart, the road is,” Russell
said. “It’s going into decay.” Russell has owned his house on Lulie Street, between Cranmore Road and Bowker Avenue since 1997, and says he sees the road getting worse every year. The street has no sidewalks so the road is shared by pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. The charging station was partially paid for out of a provincial grant specifically for the station, but that’s not good enough, Russell said. “It’s public money no matter where it came from. … It’s an absolute joke.”
After last winter, Russell called the municipality and public works crews came and patched up the potholes. This year, the street is once again covered in multiple potholes. “Public works are constantly going around and picking up these sorts of complaints that come in,” said Dave Marshall, director of engineering for Oak Bay. As complaints come in, the district makes sure to go around and patch up bad potholes. There is also a pavement management program being implemented
Dentistry for the Whole Family Dr. Cheryl Handley & Dr. David Todd
Family & Cosmetic Dentistry • Implants • Invisalign NEW PATIENTS & EMERGENCIES WELCOME • 2108 OAK BAY AVE • 250 598 1313
that will address the worst roads in Oak Bay over a five-year period, but Marshall said it will likely focus on major roads. Roads are being evaluated and a list of the worst roads is being compiled. Lulie St. is not on the list. Smaller roads are addressed usually only after a complaint, and then generally with patching. Marshall said residents often don’t want roads repaved because the fresh pavement promotes speeding. PlEASE SEE: Roads deteriorating, Page A4