The busiest intersection on Bowen Island may be getting straightened out – at least in part.
Bowen Island Municipal Council held a workshop on the municipality’s proposed Integrated Transportation Master Plan (ITMP) at its Committee of the Whole meeting Monday (Nov. 21), looking at a whole host of issues from parking to on-island bus service to regional connections, among many other items (see related story page 3).
But councillors spent most of the workshop time on one issue – the intersection of Bowen Island Trunk Road (BITR) and Cardena Drive.
Council asked staff to hire a traffic engineering specialist to study traffic safety concerns at the busy intersection back in April.
Creative Transportation Solutions (CTS), the company hired to conduct the study, identified several safety issues at the intersection, including the misalignment of the two lanes coming off the ferry, pedestrian safety, pavement markings and signage.
Currently, the two offloading lanes have to shift northwards an entire lane width throughout the intersection with Cardena Drive, “causing much disorientation and distraction to drivers,” according to staff’s report.
The pedestrian crossings at Cardena are also problematic, with sign posts and utility poles making it hard for drivers turning right onto Cardena to see people crossing the road.
The area where pedestrians wait on the north side of the road is another problem, with pedestrians often standing in the roadway of the Bowen Island Marina.
CTS recommended realigning the entire intersection by moving the parking currently on the south side of BITR to the north side (by the library) and shifting the remaining lanes southwards. That plan was the least expensive – about $10,000, according to staff – but it would also see the vehicle marshalling lane for the ferry moved back to before the intersection with Cardena.
A second option proposed leaving the parking lane where it currently is, but taking out the pedestrian walkway on the north side of BITR between the Marina and Cardena to realign the lanes, meaning pedestrians would only access the ferry terminal from the south side.
The third option, moving the retaining wall on the north side to partly realign the driving lanes while leaving a pedestrian walkway, was expected to be the most expensive option, at more than $100,000.
BC Ferries advised the municipality it was opposed both to taking away ferry mashalling after Cardena Drive and to removing the north side pedestrian walkway.
Staff had recommended the first option, but councillors endorsed an amended version of the third option, involving moving 40 feet of the retaining wall back closer to Cardena Drive.
Engineers are working on the design and final cost for that option but preliminary estimates from staff indicated the option would cost approximately $50,000.
Mayor Murray Skeels said moving the parking to the north side could end up slowing down off-loading of the ferry significantly.
“It’s kind of a non-starter, I think.”
Councillors also expressed disappointment with the CTS study did not address issues of pedestrian conflicts at the intersection more.
CTS did analyze pedestrian traffic but determined that there was not enough traffic to justify a pedestrian signal at the intersection.
Councillors also moved to direct staff to give priority to pedestrian safety, convenience and access in any changes to the Cardena Road intersection and to
refer the plans for the Cardena Road intersection to BIMTAC for comment.
All the motions made at Monday’s meeting are recommendations to be formally endorsed by council at its next regular meeting.
