The District of Sechelt will not push ahead with plans to make Cowrie a one-way street on June 21 if referral agencies deem the move unviable, the councillor who pushed for the change assured public service providers Monday.
Speaking at the April 29 regional transportation advisory committee, Coun. Doug Hockley addressed his remarks to officials around the table representing the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI), the Sunshine Coast Transit System, Sunshine Coast RCMP and other agencies.
"I want to let MOTI, transit, the ambulance service, the RCMP and the fire department know that under no circumstances will the one-way Cowrie Street take place without the input coming from the resources," Hockley said. "Up to now it had the appearance that it was going to happen come hell or high water, regardless of the feedback. That is not the case. With the feedback that comes through, if it ends before the date that's been announced of June 21, it ends, and that'll be the end of it. It'll continue to be exactly the way it is."
Hockley acknowledged the proposal has caused uncertainty within the District.
"There's a great deal of consternation created -there's a great deal of anxiety amongst the public, amongst the shop owners, amongst you people, and that's being totally taken in and considered by council," he told the committee. "And I can assure you, as the original person that put it through, that it won't happen if there's things that say it's not going to work, it's totally unviable, if the people who own the shops say 'no, we don't want the extra 84 places for parking.'
"I've appreciated people coming out to the meetings and the feedback that's come through on it, and I just want to make you aware that it is not going to happen in a cavalier way on June 21."
"Thank you very much for that," MOTI area manager Don Legault told Hockley.
Legault asked if meetings between District staff and referral agencies were planned.
"Yes," Hockley said, "and that will happen before anywhere near that particular date."
Hockley's assurances followed the previous week's barrage of referrals to council that raised serious concerns about the plan to convert Cowrie Street to westbound one-way traffic between Wharf and Ocean avenues. A second option is being considered that would omit the first block between Wharf and Inlet.
Among the major concerns, under either option:
RCMP say blocking off Cowrie between Ocean and Trail avenues will remove a key emergency response route from the Sunshine Coast detachment, leaving them with only the Highway 101 exit point.
MOTI is "concerned that emergency vehicles will not be able to access and egress Cowrie Street during emergency situations in a safe and efficient manner."
Transit officials, saying angle parking on Cowrie Street would make it unsafe for buses, would be looking at a major rerouting down Teredo Street (Highway 101) that would require bus stops and a layover location for all four routes. This would necessitate "schedule changes thus affecting operating costs, relocation of bus pads, including land acquisition, roadway and curb change," wrote BC Transit senior planner Rebecca Newlove, who requested the move be delayed until September so that officials would have sufficient time to address the issues.
MOTI also raised concerns about the impact on the overall street network and Teredo Street in particular, where higher traffic and turn volumes could require remediation, which would be borne by the District. Similarly, if transit service is rerouted to the highway, the District and Transit will have to apply to MOTI with engineered drawings, a completed bus stop checklist that demonstrates MOTI standards are met and "justification for why the bus stop cannot be relocated to another municipal street."
