Editor's note: This letter was sent to the District of Squamish. It was copied to The Chief for publication.
Re. Recently altered parking arrangements at Brackendale General Store, post office and restaurant.
You will be familiar with the changes to parking from 90 degrees to parallel together with the newly designated bike lane.
There now exists (from left to right when facing north): A covered walkway, public space at street level, parking, bike lane, south/north highway with double yellow lines, shoulder, ditch.
The volume of usage: The General Store has 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. opening times with heavy usage by the pupils of two schools. They often spill onto the public space.
The Post Office has 680 boxes, most of them used daily.
The restaurant has opening hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and customers often park for up to an hour.
Parked vehicles must contend with people and dogs on the one side and with traffic and the bike lane on the other. Note the extreme risk when door-opening and bike-lane activity occur at the same moment.
The issue: Vehicles sweep into the parking spaces from BOTH directions. The rules of parking approach and exit are unknown or disobeyed. There is NO signage to give clarification.
The request: We request three signs to advise the public as to what is and what is not permitted under the Motor Vehicle Act. They should be placed at each end and in the middle of the commercial area, visible to pedestrians and vehicle users alike.
The Signs, under The Motor Vehicle Act, should state:
1) "You may, when safe, cross the double yellow lines. Section 156. (northbound U turn into a parking space);
2) You may, when safe, complete a reverse turn (U-turn) in order to proceed north out of a parking space. Section 168.
3) It is a ticketable offence to park with your vehicle facing the flow of traffic (north). Section 190.
Advantages - There will be reduced risk of accident owing to uniformity of behaviour; the juvenile population will be more safe; there will be a reference point for wrong doers; the public will cease to be ignorant of the law.
While there are naysayers as to the effectiveness of signage, a better-informed public is a wiser public. It has also been suggested the property owners should be responsible for the issues; to our mind that is not where the policing responsibility should lay.
Your consideration to the matter is much appreciated.Donald A.B. GrahamDirector, Brackendale Owners and Tenants Association
