City’s push to restore transportation funding hits roadblock

Pentiction Western News Oct 27 2006
The city came away empty handed from a meeting with provincial Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon. Mayor Jake Kimberley said Falcon denied the city’s demand to restore funding for secondary roads cut in 1997. “That concerns me,” said Kimberley, in an interview from Victoria where he is leading the city’s delegation at the 2006 Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention. The city lobbied for the funding with an eye toward upgrading two arterial roads in and out of the community, Naramata and Eastside roads, said Kimberley, who estimates upgrades could cost up to $200 million down the road. “It doesn’t take much for that (cost) to creep up,” said Kimberley. But the city did get at least one promise from Falcon. Kimberley said the minister would review the city’s demand for cost-sharing on upgrades to the Fairview Road and Industrial Avenue intersection. “That intersection has only become a problem as a result of the traffic on the Channel Parkway (a provincial project),” Kimberley said. The city also requested financial assistance from the province to help beautify the Channel Parkway, said Kimberley. Also discussed was legislation making helmet use mandatory for all small-wheeled vehicles including skateboards and expansion of bike lanes, said Kimberley. One transportation issue still awaiting attention is a commuter-transit system linking the different regions of the Okanagan Valley. A report prepared in 2004 recommends the three regional districts pursue senior government funding for commuter transit among other transportation initiatives. Other non-transportion issues discussed so far include the South Okanagan Event Centre when the city delegation met Colin Hansen, economic development minister and minister responsible for the Olympics. The city is asking the province to give Penticton a permanent spot in the B.C. House at the 2008 Bejing Olympics. “We would be looking at sending a delegation to the promote our interests there,” said Kimberley, adding he intends to discuss the issue with the local business community looking the local wine industry among others. “If they want trade with China, they need to start putting money and personnel commitments forward.” The city delegation also discussed the possibility of linking the city’s fibre optics network with UBC-Okanagan and the Summerland Research Station, a move that would attract new high-tech industries.