CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Two weeks into last April’s election, the Progressive Conservatives issued a press release with a promise for East Royalty residents.
Within 100 days of taking office, the release said, a Dennis King-led government would complete a “comprehensive, long-term traffic plan” for St. Peters Road, one that would slow down traffic, ease congestion and improve transit coverage.
The road runs through East Royalty, where residents have been concerned for years about increasingly fast and busy traffic on the provincial highway.
“The traffic situation in East Royalty has been a political football for many years,” King was quoted as saying in the release.
“Meanwhile the traffic issue has gotten worse, and little has been done to fix the problem. We’re going to change that and lay out a clear long-term plan for residents based on their needs within our first 100 days of taking office.”
The Guardian requested an interview with Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy Minister Steven Myers. King’s 100th day in office passed last weekend. No plan has yet been released.
This request was declined.
An emailed statement from the department said a plan existed and would be presented to the City of Charlottetown and the public in the fall.
Residents interviewed earlier this week say the road continues to be hazardous, and new housing under construction in the area will only bring further congestion.
Barb Campbell, who has lived in East Royalty since the late 1980s, said she faced a lengthy wait last week after attempting to turn right onto the highway.
"We must have sat here between 15 and 20 minutes. The cars were backed up as far as the eye could see," Campbell said.
On the other side of the highway, Jane Callbeck says she avoids driving altogether at busy times, such as around 8:30 a.m.
"There's certain times of the day you've got to wait out there quite a while to get out there on the road," Callbeck said.
“I don't leave that time of day."
Callbeck said she was not surprised the King government has not produced a plan to address the concerns.
"They make all kinds of promises until they get in power. Some they do (follow through on) and some they don't," she said.
Neither Callbeck nor Campbell believe a roundabout, currently under construction near the corner of St. Peters and Norwood roads, will do much to alleviate traffic concerns.
Construction for the two-lane roundabout began earlier this summer. This roundabout, announced by the previous Liberal government, is meant to ease congestion for residents on Northridge Parkway and Norwood Road who have faced long wait times in entering the highway.
Other proposals for easing traffic along St. Peters Road were included in the City of Charlottetown’s 2015 East Royalty master plan.
This plan proposed the construction of three new roundabouts on St. Peters road between Andrew’s Pond and Heartz Road to allow residents to enter the highway.
The city’s plan also proposed the construction of a collector road across the Acadian Drive bridge near François Buote School.
Also included in the plan were new bus routes in the area and improved bicycle lanes. The roundabout currently under construction was not part of the city’s master plan for East Royalty.
The city declined to comment on current plans related to East Royalty.
Traffic concerns along St. Peters Road were prominent in July’s deferred election campaign.
Natalie Jameson, who was elected as the PC representative of Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park, said she has since been in contact with staff from the Department of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy.
She said some ideas from the East Royalty Master Plan would be incorporated in the provincial plan, but she was not aware of specifics.
"I haven't seen it. I know that I will be sitting down with the chief engineer shortly just to get some visuals around it," Jameson said.
When asked about King’s 100-day promise for a St. Peters corridor plan, Jameson said the unexpected deferred election in Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park played a role in its delay.
“One hundred days or not, there were some extenuating circumstances that we didn't have control over," she said.
“They didn't have representation in the riding to speak on behalf of the residents. I am that voice and I am communicating some of those key issues and concerns to the department."
Jameson said she expected construction of the roundabout at Norwood Road and Northridge Parkway to be completed next month.
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