Editor:
At the Sechelt-bound bus stop outside Starbucks in Gibsons is a short lane on the highway, which seems to be the cause of much confusion. Years ago Highway 101 through Gibsons was a four-lane affair, but the Ministry of Transportation decided to reduce this to one lane in each direction. The road was wide enough for four lanes from North Road to Pratt/Payne, but had to be reduced to two lanes right after the intersection. There was, and still is, a “Lane Ends” road sign there. The purpose of this was to tell traffic that the two lanes in your direction were being reduced to one. Today we travel through Gibsons on one lane, yet the old configuration still exists at the bus stop by Starbucks.
Here is the confusion: people turning right on to the highway from Payne Road seem to think that this throwback to yesteryear is a merge lane, which it isn’t. It has led to red light right-turners making the turn when there is a constant stream of traffic going across them on the green light and then attempting to merge into the left lane. Also, those people turning left from Pratt Road seem to think they have the right of way over right-turners from Payne because of this supposed “merge lane.” Both of these situations have led to me having several near misses with other vehicles, and I’m sure I am not the only one.
Am I completely wrong about this or should the intersection in question here be updated to be either a genuine merge lane or, alternatively, just a pull-off lane for the turn to enter the mall behind Starbucks?
Chris Bradley, Gibsons
