Cyclists\' safety top of mind in Colwood intersection plan

	Times Colonist (Victoria)	2007.11.08		BY Bill Cleverley	





Cyclists' safety top of mind in Colwood intersection planCyclists could be given their own green light at a proposed new $1.5-million intersection at Wilfert and Wale roads that Colwood hopes to build without digging into the pockets of local taxpayers. 



Colwood is proposing a bike-only phase in a traffic-light cycle at the intersection to allow cyclists to cross safely. 


"We're going to make sure cyclists are going to be taken care of when we put traffic lights in," said Coun. Gordie Logan, transportation and public works committee vice-chairman. 


"We've got some innovative ideas to give cyclists priority -- even their own signal." 
The municipality wants to realign and extend Wilfert to make the intersection a standard T-junction in preparation for when Wilfert is extended to meet the Island Highway in View Royal some time in the next two or three years. 








Colwood has good reason to pay attention to cyclists at that corner. 
In order to realign the intersection, Colwood needs a right-of-way from the B.C. Transportation Authority which owns the Galloping Goose Trail. The BCTA, along with the Colwood Cycling Action Committee, have both expressed concerns about the safety of the crossing where the intersection meets the trail. 
The municipality also wants $685,000 in federal gas-tax money for the project so it has designed it to be as "green" as possible. 
In order to qualify for the federal money, the project has to meet criteria for reduced greenhouse gas emissions, cleaner air and cleaner water. 
Chief engineer Michael Baxter says while the existing junction of Wilfert and Wale roads is narrow, dark and poorly aligned, the reconstructed one would qualify for funding because it includes a sidewalk and streetlights -- encouraging use by both pedestrians and cyclists. 
"Higher pedestrian and cycling traffic reduces greenhouse-gas emissions and contributes to cleaner air with less vehicular traffic. Cleaner water will be achieved by catch basins with open bottoms to allow for infiltration of rainwater into the ground rather than all the water flowing by storm drains to the nearest watercourse, Millstream Creek," Baxter said in a report to the transportation committee. 
Baxter estimates that contributions from developments like the SilkWind highrise condominium project and a planned four-storey, 100-unit hotel in the area mean that contributions to the project from developers will be $740,000. 
Colwood Mayor Jody Twa said safety is the prime reason for realigning the intersection. 
"In the current connection to Wilfert off Wale, the grade is too steep and there's too sharp of a corner," he said. 
Twa also said the joint project the municipality has planned with View Royal to link Wilfert with the Island Highway will be a huge boost to the community's tax base because it will help open up much of that land to development.