Residents on the Sunshine Coast aren't impressed with what they see on Highway 101, and they are willing to put their names on paper saying so.
Three petitions, two asking for Gibsons Way to be changed back to its four-lane configuration and one asking for a traffic light at Roberts Creek Road, have totalled more than 3,000 signatures.
Organizers of the petitions are now delivering them to Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) with hopes of seeing results, especially as the Gibsons Way trial is scheduled to be reviewed this fall.
"I'm hoping that the review of the changes that's going to be done by the ministry actually looks at satisfaction on the part of residents and professional drivers, and I hope it's comprehensive As long as it's done fairly, we should be acknowledged," Simons said.
The traffic-calming measures on Gibsons Way have drawn numerous complaints from residents citing impassable congestion, increased incidents of near-collisions, road rage, diverting of highway traffic through residential neighbourhoods, poor access to driveways on Gib-sons Way and safety risks to pedestrians.
Simons was on hand to receive a 1,400-plus name petition as about 40 parishioners of St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church staged a protest on Tuesday morning, Aug. 18.
The petition, organized by St. Bart's Rev. Peter van der Leelie, asks that the MOTI return the highway to four lanes.
"We've done what we can, and now we'll just see what happens," van der Leelie said.
Gibsons resident Shelly Royal organized a second petition, collecting online signatures asking for Gibsons Way to be changed back to four lanes. Royal said she started the petition with the hope that residents not able to sign van der Leelie's petition would still be able to register their discontent. She said despite some overlap between the petitions, they will be more effective when Simons introduces both in the legislature.
"They're going to submit their petition and we're going to submit our petition, and the more voices, the more we're heard, hopefully they'll listen to us," she said.
Royal has not yet submitted her petition to Simons, but said she would, and as well would send copies to the MOTI, the Town of Gibsons and the premier's office. At last count her petition had more than 1,060 signatures.
Simons has also accepted a third petition signed by 400 Roberts Creek residents asking for a stoplight to be installed at Roberts Creek Road and Highway 101. Creek resident Yvone Mounsey started collecting signatures in May asking MOTI to consider a traffic light, citing safety concerns for pedestrians attempting to access the bus stops on either side of the highway at the intersection.
Simons said he will deliver all three petitions in the legislature and he is tentatively scheduled to meet with MOTI minister Shirley Bond in September.
"I'm looking forward to that. There are a number of transportation issues the community is concerned about - everything from closure of the Lang-dale dock to the intersection in Roberts Creek to this particular piece of highway [in Gibsons] I think that's my responsibility to make sure she knows about the concerns we have," he said.
Simons couldn't say what the chances of success on any of the petitions were, but van der Leelie said if MOTI concludes Gibsons Way should not revert to four lanes, he would make sure it became a political issue.
"We'll regroup just before the next election," he said with assurance.
