After numerous accidents have resulted in several injuries, Saanich is looking for change.
In September 2023, the Saanich Transportation Advisory Committee resolved to ask the District’s council request the Capital Regional District (CRD) to remove the bollards from the Galloping Goose Trail and Lochside Trail.
The bollards are in place along the Galloping Goose at intersections in order to block vehicles from driving onto the shared-use active transportation pathway.
The problem now however, is that as cargo bikes, e-bikes and fat bikes become more popular along with large pannier packs, the bollards could be a safety risk.
Councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff led the discussion at the Monday, January 8th Committee of the Whole meeting in which the District discussed why and how they would remove the bollards.
“We had a very fulsome discussion around this issue with the Transportation Advisory Committee after we had a presentation from a member of the public who shared a range of concerns,” said Phelps Bondaroff.
He explained the notion was previously explored by council in 2017, but at that time the CRD never got back to the District regarding their request.
Phelps Bondaroff says at that time the District gathered information on incidents where cyclists sustained an injury from crashing into the bollards to which they had 25 responses.
Included in those responses were detailed accounts of children as young as 7-years-old colliding with the posts, peoples bikes being destroyed and people being seriously hurt.
See also:
- Victoria councillors push for underutilized rooftops to become green spaces
- City of Victoria says employee who decapitated deceased cougar has been fired
“When it comes to bollards on trails, basically, the bollard is there to deal with the hypothetical possibility of a vehicle entering the trail, but it presents a very real and tangible impact and risk to road and trail users,” said Phelps Bondaroff.
“Those risks include people not seeing them late at night, crowded trails, but also, we have an expanding range of typologies of bikes.”
He says that for the most part, the District of Saanich has already removed bollards from the majority of Saanich run trails, but now they want the CRD to do the same to their trails which pass through the region.
As the CRD gears up to widen some regional trails and add additional lighting, the council opted to ask them if this would be something they could include in their project.
The District expressed hope that the CRD expedite this process.
The motion was passed unanimously and now, the matter is in the hands of the CRD.
