2241 replies to this topic

[grantpalin]

https://youtu.be/lYgGHJaji-g We cant even discuss a bypass for the Malahat because induced demand and ghg etc. Meanwhile Norway says "hold my beer"

That's quite the undertaking. Norway's coastline is a weird one, what with all the fjords, which kind of needs such solutions. It's very "crinkly" even, according to Slartibartfast.

[max.bravo]

Geography looks about the same as the sunshine coast to me. Glad to see other places not afraid to take on big projects like this. I can’t imagine BC ever thinking this big. I don’t think the breakwater would be built if it was proposed in recent history. the empress either.

[Mike K.]

What unmitigated disaster of a joke world do we actually live in?

It turns out having people turn across a highway to access the Skywalk is incredibly unsafe. So instead, we’ll just detour you 10km.

Good luck to anyone without a helicopter who ever has to evacuate the Capital Region along our goat trail of a major (only) highway. The province calls their little pickets and a 10km detour an “improvement.”

Have a read for yourself and decide if this should have been published on April 1st:

More improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway near Bamberton will increase safety for people travelling the corridor, as well as those visiting the new Malahat Skywalk attraction.

The Malahat Skywalk development is opening later this month at 901 Trans-Canada Highway, and is expected to be a major tourist attraction. The Skywalk owners estimate the attraction will likely draw more than 200,000 people per year wanting to take in scenic views of the Saanich Inlet and Saanich Peninsula.

With the opening of the new attraction, the already heavily travelled highway is expected to see a significant increase in traffic. Increases in traffic volume, both expected and attraction-specific, have resulted in the need to reassess safety along this corridor.

As an immediate interim safety improvement, median barrier pickets (like those seen at Goldstream) have been installed to restrict left turns in and out of the existing U-turn facility and access to the Skywalk.

Given the increasing traffic volumes, for the safety of all highway users, the ministry determined it was safest to have people drive approximately five kilometres north to the Bamberton interchange to use the existing U-turn route to return south. Southbound travellers wanting to access the Skywalk will be able to follow signs to the existing U-turn facility at the Malahat Chalet.

[JohnsonStBridge]

Surprised the U-turn to return south doesn't involve the Mill Bay ferry. In that context, the 10km loop back is nice and direct.

[Victoria Watcher]

With the opening of the new attraction, the already heavily travelled highway is expected to see a significant increase in traffic.

^ quote.

Even if their overly optimistic 200,000 materialises that is hardly a “significant” increase. who writes this crap?

it’s less than 250 extra cars a day.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 July 2021 - 10:35 AM.

[Mike K.]

We’re hopelessly adrift with no sight of shore.

BC hydro says personal vehicles will grow by 15% modal share over the near term. We still have a single goat trail to and from the Capital. And a botched highway access roll-out for a tourist attraction is now called an “improvement.”

We need an investigation into how this can happen along the Trans Canada Highway.

[Victoria Watcher]

Ben Isitt.

[Mike K.]

Surprised the U-turn to return south doesn't involve the Mill Bay ferry. In that context, the 10km loop back is nice and direct.

You know, for being a bridge, I’m surprised you’re advocating for a ferry route.

[Barrrister]

Talk about a tourist rip off, free and better viewing a few miles up the hill.

[Victoria Watcher]

they should have just lobbied to take over the free observation area. with one of those glass bottom walkways.

[JohnsonStBridge]

You know, for being a bridge, I’m surprised you’re advocating for a ferry route.

 

While a bridge would certainly be the superior engineering feat sometimes you've got to go with the more economical ferry option. You could build a handful of K-class ferries with my $105 million pricetag.

[Mike K.]

And ferries have fenders.

[Matt R.]

Sorry, no staff for the ferries. A bridge is much less labour intensive, once built.

Matt.

[Spy Black]

There will never be a bridge.

But dozens of ferries ply these same waters every day.

 

A fast ferry service from Swartz Bay to Cowichan Bay (already a Westcan deep water port) with the associated road improvements on the Cowichan side is the logical fix.

The infrastructure is already in place on the Swartz Bay side, including highway access and a full facility ferry terminal.

The Cowichan side needs a new terminal, and minor improvements to Cowichan Bay Road and Westcan Terminal Road ... which join directly to the Trans Canada Highway. The distance from the proposed Cowichan ferry terminal and the Trans Canada Highway is only around 2 miles.

 

The access roads on the Cowichan side cross a bit of First Nations land, so there's an opportunity for the Cowichan First Nations to somehow be involved, making it a win/win all around.

[Spy Black]

In reality though, and as much as a ferry to Cowichan Bay might work ... I don't think anything will ever be constructed in order to bypass, or offer an alternate route to the Malahat.

 

We've only ever had the Malahat, and it's very likely that's all we're ever going to get.

[On the Level]

In reality though, and as much as a ferry to Cowichan Bay might work ... I don't think anything will ever be constructed in order to bypass, or offer an alternate route to the Malahat.

 

We've only ever had the Malahat, and it's very likely that's all we're ever going to get.

 

You've got another Mackenzie sized overpass/highway build out towards Sooke around 17 mile pub, but that's Horgan's territory so he will just ram it through.  There is too much focus on the Malahat from Issit and the CRD to make anything positive happen. 

[Mike K.]

An MVI at Mill Bay Road has moved southbound traffic into the northbound lane (right at the Shell station)

The Malahat, despite the improvements, is as bad as its ever been. It’s a freak show of speed and anger such that accidents are now occurring with regularity and tailgaters are a severe nuisance. I drove the route yesterday afternoon and the nonsense I saw was absurd.

What’s it going to take to stop the aggression and the speeding?

[Victoria Watcher]

where are those promised speed cameras?

2018:

https://globalnews.c...on-the-malahat/

Speed cameras could soon be coming to the Malahat on southern Vancouver Island.


The Capital Regional District Traffic Safety Commission has received overwhelming support from people following an

To gauge support, more than 1,400 people weighed in earlier this year. Seventy per cent of people voted in favour of putting in the cameras, three per cent were neutral and the remaining 27 per cent were against.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 October 2021 - 06:49 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

2019:

 

Transportation Minister Claire Trevena ruled out the speed cameras, which SenseBC calls “photo radar 2.0” this week, after a long lobbying campaign by the CRD. Trevena made the comments as she released a study of the Malahat that found that severe crashes were not frequent enough to justify the cost of an alternative route for times when the Highway 1 route is shut down due to accidents or other hazardous conditions.

A recent police enforcement campaign on the Malahat showed speeding was a big problem, at least on Sunday, Dec. 8. Police set up a speed trap for five hours that day and ticketed 19 vehicles for excessive speeding, which is more than 40 km/h over the posted limit. Each driver got a $368 fine and the vehicle impounded for a week, a penalty SenseBC says adds up to more than $2,000 with impound fees and increased ICBC premiums.

 

https://www.peninsul...d-sensebc-says/

[Mike K.]

Whatever it takes, it’s time.

There was a delivery truck of a well known moving company in the fast lane doing well over the limit, putting everyone at risk weaving in and out of lanes passing vehicles. Stuff like that shouldn’t be happening on any road, but on the Malahat?