The City of Courtenay will conduct a speed survey and traffic count to evaluate driver behaviour on Arden Road between Cumberland and Lake Trail roads, as directed by council. The survey also intends to determine where speed is an issue. The findings will be provided to police for review.
The survey is in response to concerns from Jordan Huber, a mother of four boys who will not allow her children to walk to school until the City makes Arden more pedestrian-friendly. Two of her boys attend Arden Elementary while a third starts kindergarten in the fall.
She hopes a sidewalk will be constructed. Staff estimates the project, if it were to stretch more than one kilometre from Cumberland to Lake Trail, would exceed $1 million in costs.
Arden is a collector, or distributor, road that moves traffic from local streets to arterial roads, and connects adjacent arterial roads such as Cumberland and Lake Trail. Because collector roads are designed to promote smooth traffic flow, they tend to carry higher volumes of traffic. Logging trucks frequent this segment of Arden, which lacks a white line on either shoulder.
The Arden Corridor Local Area Plan identifies a priority for roads to maintain a rural character.
Coun. Ronna-Rae Leonard said the survey is a “good first step” to obtaining objective information about Huber’s concern.
Over the last five years, ICBC statistics indicate there have been two accidents at the Lake Trail/Arden intersection and one on Arden Road. None of the accidents involved pedestrians or cyclists.
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