A traffic island at the base of Opal Rd.discouraging using the route as a shortcut is a hotly contested issue. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

traffic spat

Nanaimo council votes to keep controversial traffic-calmed intersection

Nov 17, 2020 | 1:17 PM

NANAIMO — Angry emails and phone calls to Nanaimo councillors will likely spike again after a surprise motion failed to remove barriers restricting vehicle flow in the Rock City neighbourhood.

The narrow 5-4 vote against the motion from coun. Zeni Maartman related to the contentious traffic island at the Rock City Rd. and Opal Rd. intersection discouraging using Opal Rd. as a shortcut.

Instead, councillors agreed to continue monitoring the intersection as it stands now until next spring.

Coun. Maartman said she believes the intersection was made more dangerous by the measures to better control traffic.

“We have heard for months about the difficulties, the challenges, people not obeying it, people doing dangerous turns,” Maartman said.

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Her views were shared by councillors Sheryl Armstrong, Tyler Brown and mayor Leonard Krog.

Coun. Armstrong called city-led changes to the intersection “terrible.”

“I consider this a failure,” Armstrong said. “I think it’s going to result in more accidents, I know that people are going into people’s driveways doing illegal U-turns, how is that fair to them?”

The triangular concrete island was installed in September, 2019, designed to restrict vehicles from turning right off Rock City Rd. onto Opal Rd. and also turning left from Opal Rd. onto Rock City Rd.

A city staff report said the change was “moderately successful” with traffic volumes reduced by 65 to 70 per cent between 2018 and 2020, but illegal vehicular use of the intersection remained an issue.

A follow-up report was ordered by council this past May.

City data from October showed 44 illegal movements in seven hours of collection, with nine illegal movements in the afternoon peak hour.

A middle barrier was recently installed on Rock City Rd. at Opal Rd. to further restrict illegal vehicle movement.

The traffic island was not the first attempt to address concerns from Opal Rd. residents. Speed bumps were installed in 2006 to combat increasing speed and traffic on the popular bypass to Uplands Dr.

Coun. Erin Hemmens said more time is required to compile additional information, including the need to hear how funnelling more traffic toward nearby Rock City Elementary School has potentially impacted safety.

“If we’re really trying to break habits that have been happening for a decade or more it might take a little bit more than nine months,” Hemmens said.

The staff report said re-routing motorists from Opal Rd. generated fresh concerns from citizens about the Rock City Rd. and Departure Bay Rd. intersection, which is planned to eventually have a traffic signal.

Coun. Ian Thorpe believed Opal Rd. was more dangerous prior to council addressing longstanding safety issues there.

“I’d like to investigate blocking off the end of Opal totally at the end of Rock City Rd., make it a cul-de-sac,” Thorpe said. “That might solve some problems, then lets see what emails we get.”

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes