Speeding on Wain Road continues to be a problem

New, modified speed signs and reflector strips on a contentious strip of Wain Road have not had the desired effect, say local residents.

“There’s been little or no change in speeding,” said Mitch Holme, one of the residents in the area of Wain Road near the overpass, which, despite a 60 km/h speed to the west and the highway, with its 80 km/h speeds, to the east, is actually 40 km/h.

Holme, one of the residents who have been active in trying to have the strip slowed down, said that the Speed Watch volunteers had been in the area since the changes and had reported that of 218 vehicles they recorded, fewer than 20 were doing the speed limit. A large group, 104, were 11 or more km/h over the limit, while 34 were more than 21 km/h over.

He suggested that the district’s approach so far — asking drivers to slow down — needed to be amped up. “Now it’s time to force them to slow down,” he said, suggesting “aggressive traffic calming” such as curb extensions, stop signs, or a traffic circle. “You’ve tried to play nice, now it’s time to get tough,” he told North Saanich council.

The district’s engineer, Patrick O’Reilly, said that in addition to the modified signs and reflector strips, they were looking at painting additional warnings on the road, a tactic he said had also been suggested by residents.

Rumble strips had initially been investigated in the place of the reflector strips, but they would have caused other problems, O’Reilly said. “We were quite close to installing them, but then the residents figured that maybe the noise would be more of a problem,” he said.

Councillor Bob Shaw said that he felt the signs and reflector strips had been successful — at least with one particular driver. “I drive down Wain Road every day, and I’ve certainly been an offender [of the speed limit] in the past,” he said. “The work to date has changed my behaviour.

“That’s not to suggest we let up,” he added.

In response to a question from Shaw, O’Reilly confirmed that he was in contact with the Ministry of Transportation in regards to extra signs and other modifications coming up off the highway. He also said they would continue to work with residents in order to find solutions to the speeding.

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