By Dominic Abassi

Traffic in front of children’s dance studio like ‘Frogger with humans,’ councillor says

Feb 27, 2018 | 4:13 PM

NANAIMO — People involved with a Nanaimo dance studio are warning of an impending tragedy if the City doesn’t address what they say is a dangerous traffic situation.

On Monday night, Council directed staff to return with a report laying out options for traffic calming and improvements to pedestrian safety on Boxwood Rd., specifically in front of Vibe Dance Studio.

“We have to do something there. When I hear some drivers won’t like it, well too bad…It’s an extreme hazard,” coun. Bill Yoachim said. “It’s Frogger with human lives. It’s easy to say what people should do but I think we have to do something because cars rip up there and it’s ridiculous….If we don’t do something, shame on us.”

Steve Johnston, a parent of a child who attends the studio, joined Vibe owner Serra Stewart as they laid out their concerns to Council. They requested action, bringing up the potential of temporary speed humps used recently to address concerns on Ross Rd.

“Something (needs to be done) so we’re not talking about this later when a child gets hit by a car.”

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Johnston said the major issue is parents parking across the street while waiting for or dropping off their children.

“You will have a bunch of cars parked on both sides and the kids go across running. They’re excited and we all know not every parent is responsible and going to walk their kid across. It just takes one. I don’t know what the solution is but continuing on the way we’re going is going to be messy,” he said, adding 500 students between the ages of five and 20 attend the school.

Stewart said she has tried to encourage parents to use the parking lot behind the building, even changing it to make it more convenient, but “I’ve had parents tell me it’s inconvenient…because they have to park their car, get out and walk around with their child to the front door.”

“So for them it’s more convenient for their child to get hit?” a bemused coun. Sheryl Armstrong said. “No offense, but that’s how it comes across to me. You’ve got the parking lot there, that’s where your child can come out safely. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

When Vibe opened in the industrial park 12 years ago there was a gravel road and the studio was at the end of a relatively quiet stretch. Boxwood has since exploded with development. Three new projects are planned or under construction within metres of Vibe, including a two-storey office building and commercial/retail space.

The relatively straight stretch is often used as a shortcut for traffic cutting from Northfield Rd. to Bowen Rd and there are no sidewalks. In the future, Boxwood will be punched through to connect with Griffiths Rd., where a residential subdivision is planned.

When NanaimoNewsNOW visited the street Tuesday afternoon, there was heavy traffic and several drivers appeared to be speeding. The relatively narrow road was lined on both sides in most sections with parked cars.

“It would be absolutely awful if people bring this to our attention, and they have been for months and months, and we don’t do something. If something does happen I don’t want to be sitting back here facing them,” coun. Bill Bestwick said.

The City says a report will be in front of Council “fairly quickly.”

dom@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @domabassi