Some people in Clearwater and area must have waaaay too much time on their hands.
For example, look at the ongoing controversy about the roundabout proposed for the junction of Highway 5 and the road to Wells Gray Park.
We’ve had letters to the editor going back and forth, discussions on social media such as Facebook, and endless debates at local coffee shops. We’ve even had a person say to us, when told that the newspaper supports the roundabout, “Well, we won’t talk with you anymore.”
How many intersections are there in this area? Yes, the one where the roundabout is proposed is one of the more important ones, but is it really that important? Your editor probably goes through it an average of four times a day, which likely is more than most. Assuming it takes 30 seconds to negotiate the intersection, that’s a total of two minutes out of 24 hours – or less than 1/7 of one per cent of my day.
We’ve heard that the possible cost of the roundabout is $2.3 million. We’re not sure where that figure came from, although apparently someone from Highways quoted it to someone at last year’s public input meeting. We suspect it’s on the high side, but let’s take it at face value for now.
Except for a few tens of thousands of dollars from District of Clearwater to increase the size of the water and sewer lines that pass under the intersection (something we would have to do anyways, and at considerably higher cost if the roundabout wasn’t going in), the provincial government will pay for the project.
The population of B.C. is 4.4 million. That means the roundabout will cost a little more than 50 cents per person. Yes, we all want to see our government get good value out of our tax dollars, but I don’t see the sense of getting too excited about a project that will cost me about as much as a cup of coffee cost 20 years ago. And how many cups of coffee have been wasted talking about this thing?
The roundabout will make the intersection safer. No one disputes that. It will highlight the road to Wells Gray Park. No one disputes that either.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure plans to host a public open house about the roundabout project today (Thursday, Feb. 7) in the Clearwater Legion Hall. There will be two sessions: 2 – 4 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m.
No doubt there will be a straw poll or other mechanism for the government to measure whether the community supports or opposes the project.
We encourage everyone to get out to the meeting, listen to the information presented, and express your opinion.
And for those who have gotten all wound up in this debate, we encourage them to go home after the meeting, think about something else for a change, and try to get a life.