The Capital Regional District aims to answer the question of rigid bollards B次元官网网址� friend or foe for regional trail users B次元官网网址� during its widening and lighting project.

Two letters in front of the CRD Transportation Committee on Feb. 21 illustrate the question succinctly.

On one hand, View Royal mayor and council pleaded the CRD to keep rigid bollards on regional trails. On the other, a letter from Saanich begs the regional group to remove them.

Both cite safety as the top concern.

From a CRD perspective, the rigid bollards have two functions, to prevent unauthorized vehicle access and to provide a visual indication for trail users that they are approaching an active intersection, according to a staff report written in response to the letters.

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The subject also spurred a passionate response from the community, said director Jeremy Caradonna.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always thought of bollards as our friends,B次元官网网址� the city of Victoria councillor said. B次元官网网址淭here are some very harrowing stories I read in the last couple days.B次元官网网址�

After reading dozens of stories of people who broke legs and bones, heB次元官网网址檚 now determined they pose a danger.

B次元官网网址淲hy are they hitting them so hard theyB次元官网网址檙e having these serious accidents?B次元官网网址� director Scott Goodmanson countered later in the meeting. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e placed in the spots where weB次元官网网址檙e saying to users B次元官网网址榮low down (and) focusB次元官网网址�.B次元官网网址�

The Langford mayor also voiced concern over not hearing from other users.

Caradonna later noted Victoria has moved away from bollards in areas where other infrastructure creates similar safety features.

B次元官网网址淚 understand itB次元官网网址檚 about weighing risk,B次元官网网址� he said, noting there may be opportunities to veer away from bollard use.

While regional parks officials havenB次元官网网址檛 done any studies on bollard use B次元官网网址� rigid or flexible B次元官网网址� it is one of the things they plan to look at during the trestle upgrades, trail widening and lighting project.

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Without a study, and no plethora of tales of vehicles venturing dangerously onto infrastructure such as trestles or putting trail users at risk B次元官网网址� staff did have a recent car story. A couple weeks ago a driver inadvertently got on the Goose near Spectrum school. In that case, staff said the vehicle got through school district land at Spectrum.

In its letter, Saanich council specifically asked that the CRD review use of steadfast posts during its trestle and trail widening and lighting project. That plan was confirmed by a committee directive during the Feb. 21 meeting.

The regional district will also work with the Regional Transportation Working Group to look at continued use of rigid bollards in a bid to ensure a consistent approach across the active transportation network.

CRD staff said the results will be reported back to the committee but not likely this year.

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