Dear Saanich Councillors, BC Transit Staff and Saanich News:
At around 4:20 p.m. yesterday afternoon, Tuesday May 20th, I witnessed a near multi-vehicle collision at the corner of Tyndall and San Juan Avenues that could have resulted in significant injury. This is a busy intersection that involves vehicle and pedestrian traffic, which at times is chaotic.
The Bus on Route 28 McKenzie was bearing northbound on Tyndall and proceeding to its bus stop with its right turn signal on, while a westbound car on San Juan Avenue was turning left onto the southbound lane of Tyndall. I believe the driver of the car may have felt that the bus was turning left onto San Juan Avenue at Township Coffee. I believe the bus driver sounded his horn to warn the driver, but the driver of the car continued to make the turn. I feel for the bus driver in this instance, as well as those bus drivers of Bus Route 12 University Heights who struggle to navigate amidst cars parked on both sides of the road and the heavy traffic on San Juan Avenue.
At the same time, the driver of another car was turning from the southbound lane of Tyndall onto San Juan Avenue, to make the turn, but fortunately stopped after crossing the centre line when noticing pedestrians who had disembarked from the bus crossing San Juan. Pedestrians were also crossing Tyndall at the crosswalk. The scene was a disaster waiting to happen. I was able to view this event firsthand as I was one of those disembarking the bus.
I live in a home with a good view of this intersection and have witnessed a multitude of near misses. It doesn’t help that vehicles are parked up and down San Juan to visit Township Coffee, the soccer fields, and the daycare and kindergarten housed on St. Dunstan’s property, which has now been sold to a developer. There is now every indication that the situation will deteriorate with a higher-density population. The amount of traffic and parking on both Tyndall and San Juan Avenues needs your consideration for amelioration prior to any potential development taking place.
Thank you in advance for your review and necessary mediation of a potentially significant traffic safety issue.
Philip Wall
Saanich
