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Oak Bay adding stop signs to nine uncontrolled intersections

Residents on sleepier roads seeing more traffic, District says
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There aren’t many uncontrolled intersections left in Oak Bay and on Monday council approved adding stops signs to nine intersections that currently don’t have them.

Stop signs and stop bars (painted on the street) are coming to Smythe Street where it intersects with Victoria Avenue and Hampshire Road; to Deal Street’s intersections with Margate Avenue and Orchard Avenue; to Tinto Street’s intersections with Oliver Street and Monterey Avenue; and to where Pentland Road intersects with Victoria Avenue, Falkland Road and Hampshire Road.

Council also designated two handicapped parking stalls at the east side of the entrance to the Windsor Pavilion and limited parking to two hours, Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Goodwin Street.

READ MORE: Painted or not, all intersections have crosswalks

Oak Bay engineering can add some traffic control measures on its own accord but stop signs and the painted stop bars that go with them must be approved by council, said Director of Engineering Dan Horan.

“There’s a handful of places without stop signs that have generally been quieter neighbourhoods, which are leftover from when there were a lot fewer cars,” Horan said. “Residents are noticing more cars from places outside the neighbourhood, they drive faster than locals, and don’t understand the dangers.”

Two of the new stop signs are across the street from Monterey middle school, and four more are very close to Monterey, though Horan reiterated that just happens to be where some of the remaining uncontrolled intersections are and the new stop signs are not inspired by specific incidents.

Consider this the first batch of stop signs for 2020, with another round of uncontrolled intersections to come before council in March.

READ ALSO: Blinking stop signs stand out in Oak Bay

As a reminder, ICBC guidelines state that when two vehicles arrive at the same time at an uncontrolled intersection, the vehicle on the left must yield to the vehicle on the right.

Be careful when you want to turn left where other traffic is approaching from the opposite direction. Yield to traffic that is in or near the intersection. If you intend to go straight through and a vehicle is already in the intersection turning left, you should yield.

reporter@oakbaynews.com


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