A Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) traffic study in Gibsons has revealed that 54 per cent of drivers making a right turn onto Payne Road from Highway 101 do so illegally.
Rather than make their turn from the motor vehicle lane, drivers are opting to navigate into the bike lane on the right-hand side of the road to make their turn. The concern is the danger created between vehicles making the turn legally and those doing so in the bicycle lane at the same time.
"The challenge of the intersection is there's currently no vehicle lane designation for right-turn vehicles, so there is some confusion," SCRD community energy manager Johan Stroman said at the Oct. 31 transportation committee meeting.
The situation is still being investigated, but one proposal could see the creation of a dedicated right-turn lane to be shared with cyclists.
Police check in
In response to the ongoing issue of vehicle break-ins across the region, Sunshine Coast RCMP are planning on making use of a bait car to catch the culprits.
The hope is that by leaving the car stocked with items like laptops that are prone to theft, those committing vehicle thefts can be caught red-handed.
"We'll videotape everything. It will activate as soon as somebody gets inside the car, and hopefully we'll be able to catch these guys," said Staff Sgt. Herb Berdahl at the Oct. 31 policing committee meeting.
By the numbers
The month of October's RCMP incident report was well-received by the policing committee as it detailed a drop in crime rates compared to the last two years.
A total of 552 incidents were documented by RCMP last month, compared to 772 last year and 766 in October of 2009. The biggest drops were overall property crimes and traffic violations in Sechelt.
Defying the trends were crimes against persons in Sechelt, which more than doubled to 25 compared to each of the last two years.
Corporate deficits
Total revenues have declined significantly for the building division, a report by chief building inspector Peter Longhi detailed and presented at the Oct. 27 corporate services committee meeting.
A year-end deficit of $40,000 is projected, believed to be the result of lagging construction during the spring months. An overall decline in revenues over the past decade is also weighing heavily on the budget.
"We're down all around," Longhi said, adding that deferred payment from the St. Mary's Hospital expansion and the loss of a staff member's salary have not been enough to mend the shortfall.
Gibsons Mayor Barry Janyk commented that the deficit is part of a provincial issue in smaller communities, while Halfmoon Bay director and board chair Garry Nohr was more reserved, speculating that if a turnaround is not seen soon, the deficit could grow larger.
