Editor, The Times:
This letter is to express my disappointment in the manner in which the decision was reached to proceed with the construction of the “roundabout”.
The original open house was anything but open as there was no opportunity for anyone to express publicly any concerns with regard to potential risks. The representatives from the Ministry of Transport only expressed the potential benefits that roundabouts have experienced in general terms. There was no information regarding the potential risks that could or would be associated with a roundabout at this location.
Further, when I questioned the representatives regarding the risk of rollovers of liquid dangerous/hazardous goods, not one could answer other than saying it was built to engineering specifications.
They did advise that the actual design speed of the roundabout was 22 km/hr, which is significantly less than the posted speed of 60 km/hr.
When asked if this design speed had been modelled for liquid highway tankers, not one of the representatives could answer. This scares me to no end as there are numerous liquid dangerous/hazardous loads passing through this intersection weekly. One of the representatives asked me to email him the criteria that should be used to model liquid loads and that he would see if it had been modelled or could be modelled. This was emailed to him that same evening and I have yet to receive a reply.
This is a serious risk and if an appropriate risk assessment has not been carried out, I believe they have misled Council and that there was insufficient information for them to make an informed decision. I believe the public has a right to know the risks and should have a say in whether the risks are worth the benefits. Please provide us this information if it is available.
This project needs to be halted and re-evaluated to consider these risks as well as to develop a more comprehensive Highway 5 strategy.
I do hope that Council has not made a decision that could have serious negative consequences.
As I have stated in a previous letter to the editor of our local newspaper, I do believe that roundabouts are beneficial when constructed in appropriate locations. That being said, without a bona-fide hazard/risk assessment I cannot accept this as being a safe location for a roundabout.
J.H. (Harry) James
Clearwater, B.C.
