Editor, The Times:
Roundabouts are safer, have fewer and less severe accidents, pedestrians only have to deal with one direction of traffic at one time, and improve flow of traffic, which will be a boon to local businesses in the area.
District of Clearwater council’s involvement probably was no more than a request to Highways to do something, so it then became provincial highways jurisdiction. They probably have highway engineers that study these things. They looked at statistics and to other more populated countries (Europe) where roundabouts are plentiful and found them to be extremely successful on all counts. I would assume roughly that that is how the decision was reached to install one here.
To ask for a referendum now is long after the fact and similarly to harp at council still is probably misguided except in a general sense.
To say that a trucking company would reroute northbound traffic through Calgary because there is a roundabout here seems to be farfetched if not absurd.
Also truckers hate to have to come to a dead stop. I often see them slowly crawling up to a red light so they don’t have to stop.
Other letters to the editor have suggested that this will somehow affect trucks on the hill approaching the intersection in winter. I can’t figure that one out; how does that work?
Once you get use to it you will find a roundabout to be the best thing since sliced bread and log splitters. People will want one at the hotel intersection too. If you like traffic lights, move to Kelowna.
Sandy Crane
Upper Clearwater, B.C.
