Lake Waseosa Ratepayers' Association

The meeting was very well attended by residents from both the N. Waseosa/ Jessop Lane and Stahl's Road neighbourhoods. While Chair Det Schumacher initially indicated a 3 minute time limit per person would apply, the rule was not enforced. This led to a frank and open discussion about the safety issues with truck traffic on either road as well as quarry operations in general. All parties were very respectful of each other's positions, even where they disagreed in the details. And very good points were raised by both those for and those against this proposal.

One thing is for sure: it was made absolutely clear to the committee that -- whichever is eventually established as the preferred route to the quarry -- the affected road must be upgraded to safely accomodate the traffic and protect all other users of the road.

While the LWRA spoke first and therefore trimmed our planned 5-minute presentation "on the fly" to comply with the 3 minute window, here is our original text:

First of all, we would like to thank the committee for organizing this public meeting, where all concerned parties can be heard.

As you are aware, this topic arose from the issue of road safety on North Waseosa Lake Road and Jessop Lane after Stahl's Road was identified as a possible alternate route for some of the truck traffic. When approached, Tim Green was amenable to the route, and he offered to help fund the necessary upgrades. In return, he asked that the spring load restriction be lifted on the upgraded road.

Much has been made of the motives behind his offer. The truth is his quarry business will grow or not grow based on consumer demand. Removing the half-load restrictions only serves to reduce the number of trucks on the road during the spring which is a cost savings for him. He will undoubtedly also seek opportunities to grow his business - every businessman does - but that is a separate issue and independent of the half-load restrictions.

Comparing the Stahl's Road and North Waseosa routes, we find many similarities. Both roads fail to meet Town standards, are too narrow with no shoulders, are tar and chip, full of potholes, serving residential areas with some small or home businesses. Both feature children, bicycles and dog-walkers along the non-existent shoulders, and residents on each road are equally entitled to reasonable and peaceful enjoyment of their homes.

There are however some important differences. Physically, Stahl's Road features a truly impressive hill. At the bottom, there is a low-lying area west of the railroad tracks that is a challenge to road-building, but obviously not an insurmountable one.

Stahl's road is short and straight. North Waseosa is full of curves and dips and blind angles. It makes for a picturesque, but treacherous drive, especially for long trucks.

On a straight road, a truck's length has no effect on its width. But that changes when the road curves: a long truck needs much more width to negotiate a curve than a short truck. This is one of the gentler curves in the road:

And herein lies the safety advantage of the Stahl's Road route. There are two very dangerous turns that truck drivers face along the N. Waseosa route. The first is a nearly 90° bend approximately 850 meters in from the E. Waseosa intersection. The second is the turn onto Jessop Lane itself. This latter was the scene of an accident just two weeks ago, where a school bus was forced off the road trying to avoid an ordinary mini-van negotiating that corner.

This is a question of risk management and cost/benefit analysis. Risk is the product of severity and frequency. It is obvious that the severity of risk is lowest along the Stahl's Road route. The straight road wins over the curved road for safety.

As for frequency, Stahl's Road is the sole access route to 13 properties. One is a commercial operation, the "Doggie Motel" which recently grew its business, acquiring the contract for animal impound services from the Town. This can be expected to increase traffic on the road somewhat. The remaining 12 are residential. This number is not expected to increase.

North Waseosa has 40 residences and at least two businesses that front directly on the route, and it is the only access for an additional 160 properties beyond Jessop Lane, including home businesses like hair dressing and property maintenance services. The area continues to grow annually.

As much as we hate to put a price on safety, the reality is that no cost/benefit analysis is complete unless one looks at the costs. Road construction costs are based primarily on length. The existing Stahl's Road is 1.2 kilometers. The 350 meter portion of N. Waseosa from the highway to E. Waseosa is up to standard and requires no additional work. From E. Waseosa to the culvert over Jessop Lane is 1.9 kilometers or to Jessop Lane is 1.6 kilometers, so that route is 1/3 to ¾ of a kilometre longer, The cost of upgrading Stahl's is cheaper, even if Mr. Green was not offering this public/private partnership. When that is factored in, the cost to the Town becomes miniscule.

Since we met last December, an idea has come forth that seems to hold great merit and the LWRA would like to put it on the table here today. Both Stahl's Road and N. Waseosa are barely more than 20' wide, yet they sit on 66' wide road allowances. Instead of putting all our focus on the needs of vehicular traffic, perhaps also consider pedestrians too? Sidewalks are expensive, but how about a pedestrian path separated from the road by a two meter vegetative buffer? Mr. Green has a crushed granite product that packs very nicely into a firm, stable surface that holds up very well to the weather. Unlike gravel, kids can still ride bicycles on this surface. It would give the joggers and dog walkers dedicated space and the buffer would prevent vehicles from intruding. We believe that this idea should be explored for N. Waseosa regardless of the outcome regarding Stahl's Road, as other traffic will remain unabated, and could also be considered for Stahl's Road if this extension is approved.