Traffic

‍Noah knows traffic. He's been commuting to town for over 20 years. He believes that completing the CP5 portion of the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) - the Throup road connector (complete with a safe and efficient connection where it meets Phillips road) potentially will not only alleviate the amount of traffic bottlenecked in the town core but also enhance safety for the pedestrians that currently use the trail. They will basically be trading bears and cougars for cars, but with the added protection of a separated sidewalk or multi use pathway and hopefully lighting.

A staggering figure of $50 million was recently presented to council as an estimate for a full buildout of CPs 4,5 and 6. Borrowing these funds, via the Municipal Finance Authority of BC, would fundamentally transform Sooke's financial profile and effectively bar the district from borrowing for any other major emergency or capital priority for at least a decade.

Noah feels that the immediate scope at this point of the development of the TMP should be limited to acquiring land for a properly sized CP5 only - that is the critical piece that province has pointed at in the past to excuse lack of further help on highway 14. As you can see on the map, CP5 is largely bordering SEAPARC land. Development of either Demamiel Creek golf course or Stan Jones Field is not planned and as such would not be paying for future upgrades to the streetscape. Proceeds from the purchase of those sections will go towards SEAPARC's capital fund, staying in Sooke and funding future recreation projects.

Noah suggested, during public participation at the  June 22, 2026 regular council meeting, that a 20m cross section without a center median or turning lanes would be an appropriate size to safely balance the bare bones 15.2m proposed size and the "cadillac land grab" 25m option. A month later, a prominent local road builder had researched and proposed at public participation just such a 20m road in response to the 25m cross section potentially encroaching on the Art Morris park ball fields along CP4. By limiting the scope of the next phase of development of the TMP to CP5, we will get the necessary section in and be better informed by how traffic flows as a result before deciding on the details of future sections such as CP4. This would also preserve the possibility that future development further along the corridor may share the costs. 

Why should we make a road that’s better than what the province provides us on Sooke Road? Noah would ask if we are happy with the condition of Sooke road between the bridge and Sooke elementary… he isn't. By including these safety and multi modal features the project will be more attractive to potential future grant funding, and it will serve as an example of Sooke's commitment to quality infrastructure and leverage our position when seeking needed future highway improvements.

At the end of the day, whether our traffic woes are solved or not, Safety must always be the top priority. Noah commits to supporting funding appropriate crossing guards and advocating for safety improvements such as elevated sidewalks, signalized crosswalks, speed reader boards, and the consideration of reduced speed limits in additional residential areas. He will also work closely with SD62 leadership in advocating to the province for action on safety improvements of school frontages along highway 14 such as what is currently scheduled to begin at Saseenos this fall

‍ ‍