A petition to return Gibsons Way to four lanes initiated by St. Bart's Anglican Church has now been signed by more than 600 people.
According to Rev. Peter van der Leelie, the petition has taken on a life of its own as concerned citizens have taken it onto the ferries and to a booth on weekends at Sunnycrest Mall. The petition will continue at the church, located at the corner of Gibsons Way and North Road, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon. The church hopes to collect at least 1,000 names, or 25 per cent of Gibsons' population, before it is sent to Gibsons town council, Premier Gordon Campbell, Shirley Bond, the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure and Nicholas Simons, Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA at the end of July.
Former mayor Eric Small added his name to the petition as well as writing a personal letter to Premier Gordon Campbell saying the lane changes on Gibson's Way create a "a very dangerous situation and a difficult traffic problem."
"The new configuration on Gibson's Way, which reduced the former two lanes (each way) to one, has resulted in road rage and a complete traffic jam with vehicles backed up for five blocks before they can get onto our main route through town," said Small.
The church's parish council and van der Leelie voted last month to ask the Ministry of Highways to reverse recent road improvements church parishioners feel are detrimental to the safety of the area.
