A fence has divided opinion in Langford.
On one side of the debate are residents living near the intersection of Latoria Road and Klahanie Drive, who say a split-rail fence between the road and the multi-use path on Klahanie causes safety and visibility issues – most notably for pedestrians.
On the other side is the City of Langford, who say the fence poses “no increased safety hazard.”
Stuck in the middle of the debate are residents of Urban Rise – which intersects with Klahanie, on the opposite side of the road to the fence – who say the obstacle prevents safe crossing.
Instead of being able to directly cross Klahanie ‘as the crow flies’ to use the multi-use path, pedestrians are forced to take a longer, less direct route, walking along a grassy verge before crossing the road where visibility is poor for drivers coming over the hill towards Latoria.
Urban Rise resident Ben Woods says he has seen multiple close calls between pedestrians and vehicles – and has even experienced his own.
He and his 14-year-old daughter, who walks the route daily, recently had to ‘run for their lives’ to avoid being hit by a car when crossing Klahanie.
On another occasion, Woods and his daughter found themselves in the path of a truck, the pair unable to get back to the side of the road because the fence blocked their path.
“Nothing ever happened for years,” he said. “Then when they put this fence in, all of a sudden we started to have repeat issues where people would come off Latoria and they come flying up the road.”
Some pedestrians aren’t even trying to cross the road, instead using the “path of least resistance,” walking on the road where it's not safe, says Woods.
Other residents and neighbours agree. They also say the fence has also narrowed the road for traffic.
“Two full-size vehicles can’t safely pass each other – and multiple dump trucks currently use the road,” said one resident.
The Latoria-Klahanie intersection is also the location of the new SCIANEW STELITKEL elementary school, opening in September.
In 2024, the city built the signalized intersection, school frontage and multi-use path down Klahanie Drive.
As well as offering a barrier between pedestrians on the path and traffic, the city says the fence will also prevent parents and guardians from stopping their vehicles in a driving lane to drop off students near the school.
As part of the city’s multi-year phase approach to improve safety for modes of active transportation on and around Latoria Road, work currently underway will include connecting Urban Rise to the Latoria-Klahanie intersection with a pathway.
"In the meantime, the split-rail fence in question does not 'block the intersection' and there is a pull-out bay near the mailboxes for residents to stop and pickup their mail on the way home," said a city spokesperson in a emailed statement.
"Compared to the existing condition of these roads, there is no increased safety hazard in the interim and ultimate design, which was confirmed by the city’s professional engineering consultant."
Until the pathway connecting Urban Rise is constructed, Woods wants the city to remove a section of the split-level fence opposite his street, to allow quick and safe crossing to the multi-use path.
“So they can cross at the higher point of the road and be more visible,” he said. “I'm not asking for anything significant.”
The concerned dad has made the suggestion to the city. “They simply refuse,” he says.
An email from a member of the city’s engineering team in November last year, shared by Woods with Goldstream Gazette, says the location requested by the dad “is not a safe place for people to cross the road.”
“The road grade and geometry would not allow for adequate sight-lines to ensure a safe crossing, and removing more of the split rail would not be recommended as it could promote unsafe crossing behaviour,” writes Kevin Bowbyes, deputy director of engineering and public works.
The response left Woods scratching his head in bewilderment.
“And I'm just kind of dumbfounded that the reasons why it's unsafe are being cited as the reason for why it's unsafe for them to do anything,” he said.
Also exacerbating the issue is a road closure on Latoria until September to allow for infrastructure improvements. The closure diverts traffic onto Klahanie, increasing the number of vehicles using the road.
For Woods, unless the city acts now, he feels it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured.
"Kids are in danger, this needs to be taken seriously," he said.
