Re: Walkable Saanich, (News, July 12)
Saanich has very few sidewalks and sometimes if there is something on the side, it is just a bumpy ribbon of asphalt that can suddenly change which side it’s on.
The urban area of Saanich needs more and better sidewalks. Tattersall between Quadra and Maplewood is a prime example.
In the meantime, Saanich needs to inform people about how to walk on a road without sidewalks.
Although the picture of Dean Murdock on the front page may be artistically appealing, since it shows cars in the background, it also shows how not to do it – walk with your back to traffic.
One should walk facing traffic so that you can see the cars coming towards you and thus be able to judge if they see you or not. It’s easier to get out of the way if it looks like they might get too close. And, as a driver, I don’t like coming up behind people walking with their back to the cars – I can’t tell if they know I’m there and I can’t tell if they might suddenly leap out in front of me.
I’m glad that Murdock is looking at the sidewalk issue. We need better and safer places for walking, especially in the urban areas of Saanich, where so few seem to know how to walk on a road without sidewalks.
Wendy Bergerud
Saanich