Fact Check: Middle and Secondary School Site Acquisitions on City Gate Road

Incorrect Statement: The Middle and Secondary School site acquisitions on City Gate Road did not consider the traffic impact in the area.

Fact Check: The land uses for the original Traffic Impact Assessment for the City Gate subdivision plan always accounted for a school in this location.

From a traffic perspective, institutional and commercial land uses are complementary to each other because their peak traffic hours do not conflict. Typical weekday peak traffic hours for schools are between 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Whereas typical weekday peak traffic hours for many businesses, such as Costco, are from 5:00 p.m.– 8:00 p.m. There is likely no conflict on the weekend because schools are typically closed.

Currently, there are only elementary schools in North Langford; meaning all students grades 6 to 12 must travel south over the highway to go to school. Building a middle school and high school in North Langford is expected to alleviate traffic congestion over the overpasses, take pressure off other schools in the District, and give students the opportunity to use active transportation to get to and from school in their own neighbourhoods.

Langford is one of B.C.'s fastest-growing cities, with the need for more infrastructure, including schools. Recognizing this need, and working closely with SD62 and the Province, the City is actively advocating for new schools and expanded infrastructure to accommodate the city’s growing population. Land use and transportation master planning is ongoing; including but not limited to the Official Community Plan Refresh, a Transportation Master Plan and an Active Transportation Plan, to support the City's efforts to enhance transportation networks and plan for future growth across Langford.

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI), Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), and BC Transit, are also key partners of the City of Langford, and will be involved in discussions, especially on how to increase active transportation infrastructure for residents of all ages and abilities, consistent signage around school zones, and better support students to take transit.