Dear editor,
I am writing in response to Mr. Russell’s letter which appeared in the Tuesday, Nov. 22 issue of The Comox Valley Record (Curbing speeding not City’s job)
I am a little puzzled about Mr. Russell’s opinion. He seems to be in favour of traffic calming and controlling speed, but he thinks the police should be in charge of that and not the City. This opinion seems to be somewhat misdirected to me. The City is responsible for public safety, which includes speed limits and enforcement. The RCMP merely follow the instructions of the City. Mr. Russell might be interested to know that the traffic study carried out by the City followed a complaint made by a Crown Isle resident who does not live on Royal Vista Way. I don’t know why he thinks Royal Vista Way residents shouldn’t advocate on their own behalf. The other communities can do the same if they have the same problem. Besides, the solution to our problem could be a model for the City to apply in other communities.
With regard to his comments about golf crossings, I would tend to agree with him. However, this particular issue has offenders on both sides of the equation. Golfers are supposed to stop before proceeding into the crosswalk, but once in the crosswalk they, as well as all pedestrians, have the right of way. I would also point out that if drivers were driving the appropriate speed they would have no difficulty seeing or stopping for individuals in a crosswalk.
Perhaps Mr. Russell could look more deeply into the facts of traffic control and be part of the solution and not part of the problem.
Brian McKay
Courtenay