Last week, driving through the State of Washington (which some Americans inexplicably pronounce ‘Worshingtun’) I was surprised at how it has embraced roundabouts. On the short run down the Guide between Lynden and Bellingham there are at least five of them. And in a new commercial/industrial park just north of Olympia, every intersection has one. All are covered in concrete or paving stone, and thus maintenance-free, with clear sight lines of oncoming traffic entering the roundabouts. A trend, it seems, that is being bucked here. The new roundabouts on McCallum Road are being filled with dirt, which means landscaping, possibly with bushes that will impede views, and regular maintenance. In other words, ongoing costs to say nothing of potential traffic flow impediments as work crews and vehicles access the installation to keep them looking nice. In addition, we now have a very large ‘sculpture’ dominating the southern traffic circle, for which our city doled out $64,000. Considering that the artwork, which I agree is quite pleasing, is an attention-getter, perhaps the city should have approached local bodyshop owners for funding, because they will be the beneficiaries of the accidents that occur when a distracted driver says ‘Hey look at that, Ethel . . .’ CRASH! As mentioned, the circles of salmon are attractive, and are worthy of appreciation, but in a traffic roundabout, at freeway on and off ramps? Where drivers need and must pay attention? Then there’s the question of how council can afford $64,000 for a sculpture, as part of an ongoing public art expenditure budget, when it doesn’t have the money, as the director of engineering pointed out at a recent townhall meeting, to replace a culvert. Try as I might, I can’t even describe those actions (or lack of) as ‘penny wise and pound foolish.’ Our city needs attractive entrances and exits, it needs a new water supply and it certainly needs improved freeway interchanges. But there also needs to be a balance, and a proper allocation of funds, so that one action does not deplete the resources of another. Making roundabouts maintenance-free will over time cost far less and free-up funds for projects that require regular care. By all means buy public artwork, but do it when you can afford it and put it in places where it can be fully appreciated by more than motorists who should instead be concentrating on where they and other drivers are going. Ah, but the city decision-makers will say ‘we saved $5 million’ on building the arena-parking-included McCallum complex. Yes they did, but with the third westbound ‘climbing lane’ being added from Sumas Way to just west of McCallum, they have built an interchange that is, on the day it is completed, already at capacity! A few years ago, we were thrilled that the freeway would be widened to four lanes from Vancouver all the way to 216th in Langley. A few more years and a rebounding economy might see those lanes extended through Abbotsford, except we have managed to eat up the available space for that expansion by filling in the median with bridge supports. Does that mean, should the already-needed widening come, that our yet to be completed overpass will have to be torn apart and rebuilt? The answer is ‘yes’ – at a cost I can assure you far, far greater than the $5 million saved. Filling in the median also eliminates the potential for any kind of rapid transit to use that routing. To me it’s a lack of vision, of no consideration of future need and certainly not a truly thoughtful expenditure of tax dollars. markrushton@abbynews.com

Abbotsford News