Friday, March 11, 2022 – Traffic on Highway 14 has been presenting major challenges for commuters travelling to and from Sooke this week.
“We’re in the traffic, too. It’s frustrating and impacting the quality of life for our residents. We are not complacent on this as a new reality and are working with various stakeholders to see what can be done to provide any form of immediate reprieve while we also work toward long-term solutions,” said Mayor Maja Tait.
Delays were expected with the short-term closure of Charters; however, the delays commuters are experiencing are far beyond what anyone could have anticipated. Staff are examining traffic counts and investigating what solutions might lessen the impact of the delays.
Seventeen of every one hundred cars turn off Highway 14 to Charters Road, including those who are reaching their destination which leads us to believe this is not the sole cause of the congestion.
The district is speaking with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure regarding the timing of lights as Highway 14 is not within the district’s jurisdiction, is connecting with School District 62 given the location of three schools on the Highway, and is working with BC Transit to expand transit services.
Numerous employers are mandating staff return to work, after two years working from home, which may be another contributing factor to the increase in traffic.
Residents are encouraged to use the Park and Ride station for transit and carpooling located near Highway 14 and Sooke River Road if they can. This station provides a connection to Bus routes 61, 61 express and over 100 vehicle and bicycle parking spaces.
“There are a lot of things that influence transportation planning. We are at a point in Sooke’s history where our growth is attracting new commercial development, and an Employment Lands Strategy is being created. This will provide the potential for a significant supply of local jobs, which will ultimately assist with the traffic delays many are experiencing – in addition to the implementation of our Transportation Master Plan, improved transit and long-term planning with School District 62,” Tait adds.
The focus for 2022 on the district’s Transportation Master Plan includes:
- Completing Church Road and Otter Point Road Corridor Construction
- Master Traffic Impact Analysis Study
- Charters Road Corridor Design to 75-90%
- Phillips Road Corridor Design (Highway 14 to north of SEAPARC) to 75-90%
- Throup Road Connector (Phillips Road to Charters Road) Design to 75-90%
- Conceptional Planning for Otter Point at Wadams Roundabout/Grant Road West Realignment
While the Church Road Roundabout was initially prioritized for 2022, should funding be received through Emergency Management BC for Charters Road, Charters Road will proceed first. This order of events is to manage (and alleviate) the potential for these projects to overlap.
As identified in the District’s Parks and Trails Master Plan and a 2022 priority, the District is advocating for funding from the province to complete the Little River Crossing Project and will be applying for a new funding stream. Little River Crossing would provide pedestrian access across the Demamiel Creek and help with congestion caused by vehicle traffic during school drop off and pick up. If not successful with the 2022 grant stream, the District has identified this project in 2023 in our five-year financial plan to be funded by smaller grants and development cost charges.
The District is updating the Development Cost Charges Bylaw – where the district receives funding from the development community in association with specific projects. This bylaw is currently with the province for their review and is anticipated to come before Council for adoption later this year which will provide significant funding for transportation projects.
“I think we sometimes forget that Sooke is just 22 years young (since incorporation). There are complexities in establishing funding sources during a municipality’s relative early years when residential property taxes are a significant source of funding. The fact we have received nearly $10 million in grants last year alone, more than the amount collected through residential property taxes, demonstrates our commitment to serving the citizen of Sooke and building a desirable community,” explained Tait.
Most of our transportation systems are built to rural standards. Bringing corridors up to urban standards and adding capacity will take time and resources.
Learn more:
- Drive BC
- Drive BC Cams: Vancouver Island – Hwy 14
- Government of BC, Highway14 Corridor Improvement Information Page
- District of Sooke Traffic Advisories
- Transportation Master Plan, including short-term plan implementation schedule
- Parks & Trails Master Plan, including short-term plan implementation schedule
- Development Cost Charges Bylaw Information, including Draft Project List
- Economic Development Strategy
District of Sooke Reception:
Tel: 250.642.1634
Media Contact:
Christina Moog, Communicators Coordinator
Tel: 250.642.1634, ext. 678
cmoog@sooke.ca