Editor:
If you stayed on the Coast this past long weekend, you may have been treated to the worst highway conditions since our last big snowfall. Sand and gravel, applied as part of a road-sealing contract administered by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, was piled up on the shoulder and between lanes. Inches deep in places, it created a serious hazard for pedestrians and cyclists who use the shoulder. Our organization, which advocates for active transportation, received multiple complaints about this. Experienced cyclists described it as “life threatening” and so dangerous that they were unwilling to ride.
We registered our concerns with MOTI and were assured that the gravel would be cleaned up before the start of Bike to Work Week on May 29. While that is a good step, it leaves some big questions unanswered. Why was the contractor allowed to leave loose sand and gravel all over the highway for over a week, when a simple sweeping would have remedied the problem? And why was this ill-conceived work done right before the May long weekend, just as our tourism-dependent communities welcomed thousands of visitors, many of whom came by bike? As a Coast resident, it was embarrassing to have to explain to visitors that our highways don’t always look like the Gobi Desert, but given the mess, they should exercise great caution on their bikes.
Transportation Choices believes that all road users benefit from well-maintained facilities that meet the needs of all travel modes – cars, bikes, buses and pedestrians. It is difficult enough to achieve that goal on the Coast, without poorly executed road maintenance work creating new, unnecessary hazards. If you share our concerns, we urge readers to contact MOTI’s office in Sechelt to express your views, and seek their commitment that this mistake will not be repeated in the future.
Tim Howard, President, Transportation Choices Sunshine Coast
