by Dave Preston
A million bucks for lights on Drought Hill was a little too much for council members to contemplate Tuesday. Instead, the municipality will ask the MInistry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) to come up with other ideas to help make vehicle travel on the hill safer.
Coun. Lindsay Bell came up with the idea of asking MOTI to install street lights on Drought Hill. MOTI told town staff earlier this month it could cost upwards of $1 million to do so and the entire bill would be payable by the District of Peachland.
“I was wondering with the New Monaco development up there if they would be required to put in lights,” Bell said at a committee meeting Tuesday.
New Monaco will be required to install lights, but only at a future intersection to the development property, said CAO Elsie Lemke.
“They need three lights on that highway,” said Coun. Vern Moberg, explaining the lights should be installed at each corner of the Drought Hill S-curves. “Three street lights put in can’t be $1 million.”
Coun. Peter Schierbeck said only having three lights would not be a good idea at night, because drivers would be travelling through multiple illuminated and dark areas.
Council agreed to ask MOTI to review accident statistics and come up with other solutions to improve safety on Drought Hill.
- Excited
- Informed
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry
Lizzy, the vast majority of trucks coming down Drought Hill do NOT use or need to use their noisy engine brakes. Why is that? Because they are not necessary!! Why do a few trucks use engine retardant brakes on Drought Hill? Because it is a lazy alternative to driving at a proper speed and using their regular brakes properly.
Using engine retardant brakes saves wear and tear on disk brakes and that is the main reason truckers use them – but at the great cost of creating noise pollution to those who live near highways. It has nothing to do with safety as you seem to be suggesting.
(FYI: There is a difference between engine retardant brakes and disk brakes and I’m not sure you are aware of the difference based on the phrasing of your comment. I’m no expert either but I know this is topic is a thorny subject in many towns.).
In residential areas, the much noisier engine retardant brakes should ONLY be used in an absolute emergency – i.e. when disk brakes fail – and “Desert Pines” is 100% correct in his request for his aforementioned sign. A sign such as he is suggesting exists at the entry point to many towns and I’m sure MOTI could provide one from their supplies without going to any great trouble. I found one reference with google suggesting California has or is considering making their use illegal in all residential areas so this isn’t a particularly new idea.
Anyway, it’s certainly worth asking the question.
Professional drivers are expected to be responsible and should not choose to turn off the braking system if it was unsafeto do so. Any that do aren’t very professional.
OMG,
I don’t have any fart jokes. ;-(
However, retarders are already banned and/or discouraged in most built-up areas. There aren’t whacks run-aways because of this. Professional drivers are expected to be responsible.
IMHO, there is no reason that retarders need be any louder than the normal exhaust sound of the truck. Mufflers exist and can be retrofitted.
The sign should read: “Un-muffled engine retarder use Prohibited”.
Sanity?
Whoops…
The above should read: “…There aren’t whacks…” OF …”run-aways”
Thks.
ps. Mr. Preston, is there any possibility of the poster editing their post for at least a few minutes after hitting “post”? Thsnks! I cann speeel.
Truth is, I didn’t realize users couldn’t edit their own posts.
Lesson: Bee karefulll.
As discussed in the other thread on this topic, an alternative to lighting is to install reflectors on the roadway lines and along the road edges, like on the Connector up to Brenda Mine (in places). As long as people can see their safe boundaries in nearly all weather conditions, lives will be saved.
And please, if our councilors are reading, please put a sign on the highway entering town:
“PLEASE DO NOT USE ENGINE RETARDER BRAKES – Thank You”
I hear that revolting sound multiple times a minute, all day long, as the semis come flying down the road, entering our peaceful town, having built up a head of steam coming down drought hill. It’s like walking into a quiet church, slamming the door behind you and cutting a huge cheek-slapping fart.
Oh, don’t mind me, just passing through.
\
Desert Pines, the engine retarder is your your safety and others on the road. Would it be better having a truck that just came off the connector turning down to Peachland with well used brakes from the previous long hill now trying to stop or slow for the retards darting out in traffic at the bottom of Trepanier or other streets near.
I choose to have the maximum braking for all vehicles at all times, try disconnecting two of your brakes on your car and go for a drive and see how you make out. It would be the same comparison.
Excessive use fine but no use forget it.
I think a good huge cheek-slapping fart is necessary just to say Hello.
This town has blown the budget on signs already not encourage more.