Okay, it’s time to say something.
Last week, we almost got run over at the cross walk on Townsend Road. The driver of a large truck came within inches of wiping out a co-worker. The driver was so busy looking for an opportunity to get into the busy traffic on Sooke Road that she forgot to look at what was going on in front of her. She actually stepped on the gas when two people were in front of her bumper.
Everyone who tries to walk through the town core takes their life in their hands every time they have to cross the street. The four-way at Otter Point Road and Sooke/West Coast Road is a nightmare. The walk signal lasts only as long as it takes for a person to cross half-way before the “no crossing” hand comes up. And you can’t cross at all in some spots. The drivers take the corners pretty sharp turning right onto West Coast Road or right onto Otter Point Road and you better not be sticking your feet, or baby carriage, too far out into the roadway. But, then it’s hard to tell where the sidewalk ends or starts and where the roadways are. Who’s fault is it? The district’s or the Ministry of Transport’s? Who cares, it needs to be upgraded. A little paint for visibility on the crosswalks wouldn’t hurt either. Do the residents of Sooke have to wait until someone is seriously injured or killed before something is done?
Lots of small towns have decent sidewalks. Why is it so difficult for Sooke to get a walkable, pedestrian-friendly town core?