They’ve heard the complaints, studied the traffic flow, and reported back to council.
And the verdict on the Evans elementary traffic conundrum is, nothing is changing. The traffic delineators that popped up just before the school year began, to curtail vehicle conflicts across four lanes of traffic, will remain in place.
A staff report was completed on Jan. 10 and brought to council on Feb. 20., recommending that the “prohibitions” remain in place, and that council “encourage school staff and parents to use alternate routes” to approach Evans elementary. The school’s location along the increasingly-busy corridor has become a growing issue for parents at the school and commuters. The traffic study took an in-depth look at exactly who is using the school’s parking lot at drop off and pick up times, and how many people are affected negatively and positively by the new traffic delineators.
The bollards stop traffic that’s leaving the school from turning left (south) onto Evans. It also prohibits left-turning vehicles from entering the school in a southbound approach. That’s the turning lane the school district asked the City of Chilliwack to have a look at. They said the change has “forced drivers to find a place to turn around and approach the school from the south,” completing sometimes dangerous or even illegal u-turns, endangering students on the sidewalk and in bike lanes.
But the bollards aren’t moving.
Coun. Sam Waddington spoke to the staff recommendation for prohibiting southbound left-turns. He acknowledged that the issue has been “contentious” but said that “implementation is the right move.”
“And I stand by that,” he said. “It makes Evans safer.”
The report found that about 100 vehicles would normally turn southbound across the two lanes of northbound traffic to enter the school on a typical school day.
The issue went through the Transportation Advisory Committee and has been discussed at length by the school board, however the issue is up to city council. The report was completed by ISL Engineering and Land Services, and a site visit was completed on Nov. 29, 2017.
The report added a note at about upcoming plans to improve Evans Road at Wells Road.
“While this improvement has not been designed yet it may provide a nearby u-turn opportunity when constructed,” the report stated.