Editor, The Times:
Re: "Roundabout not a good idea" letter and Question of the Week comments, Sept. 3 issue.
The purported statements of fact in Mr. Lamberton's letter need some clarification. He states that the fix for the problem could have been done for a fraction of the costs of the $2 million that the roundabout might cost. He doesn't state what that fix might be, or the fraction that he talks about. I have to assume that he means a light-controlled solution of some sort. If that were the case then where are his statistics to confirm his claim that there's a cheaper fix and that it would be substantially cheaper than the proposed roundabout?
He also states that you don't place a roundabout "... on the second busiest highway in B.C." Once again there is no data to show that this particular highway is the second busiest in B.C. Please refer to www.th.gov.bc.ca/trafficData/index.htm. This site shows highway usage and volumes as well as all measuring devices in the Province of B.C. The corridor from Kamloops through to the Alberta border via Highway 5 has no measuring device. That's not an indicator that the highway is being ignored; it's likely an indication that it doesn't have the volumes that Mr. Lamberton thinks it does.
The answers from the Question of the Week are also full of misconceptions and unsubstantiated rumors.
For example, "... the truckers made their point, about the danger of shifting loads." If there's a danger of a load shifting on a roundabout then those trucks won't make it to Clearwater as their loads will have shifted before they get here. Any tip-over would mean improper load and/or excessive speed through Clearwater.
"I don't know of any major highway in Canada that has one." You can try this one www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/engineering/roundabout/hwy17.shtml. This is a portion of the Primary Route the Trans Canada in Ontario. Or this one: www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/engineering/roundabout/hwy406.shtml. This is Hwy 406- a highway that meets the criteria of 10,000 plus vehicles per day.
And this one: www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/engineering/roundabout/windsor-essex.shtml. This one is also a 400 series highway - 10,000/day.
Surely we can adapt to new ideas and things that come our way.
Larry Borsa
Clearwater, B.C.