Plans axed to stall truck traffic

By Roger Knox - Vernon Morning Star Published: July 15, 2008

The brakes have been firmly applied to a Vernon councillor’s plan to have truck traffic prohibited or regulated from using 27th Street. Upset by what he terms a lack of progress with the provincial Department of Transportation over no improvements being made on 32nd Street, and little money being spent on highways improvement in the North Okanagan, Coun. Barry Beardsell made the motion to send a strong message to Victoria. “The key is to pass this resolution. It won’t set things in motion tomorrow, but it will go to the province and to transportation, and it will show the serious intent of this council,” said Beardsell. “The lack of financial support in this area for highway improvements from the province is atrocious and dismal.” Beardsell’s plan called for council to formally consider preventing or regulating the use of 27th Street by truck traffic as a response to a lack of improvements on Highway 97 (which is 32nd Street running through the centre of town), for trucks resorting to using 27th Street as an alternate route through town, and for the burden of maintaining 27th Street falling solely on the taxpayers. “We’re repaving parts of 27th Street because the roadway has sunk largely because of trucks, and we don’t get any money from the province,” said Beardsell, whose motion drew mixed reaction from fellow councillors and city staff.Coun. Buffy Baumbrough said she couldn’t imagine logistically banning traffic on 27th Street because of the huge disruption it would cause on 32nd Street.

Lorne Holowachuk, a transportation specialist with the city, called Beardsell’s motion “an interesting tactic.” “It’s a timely opportunity to send a political message, in my opinion, what with a provincial election coming up,” said Holowachuk, who confirmed the province has not contributed any funds for highway improvements in Vernon for the last two years. “Our surveys indicate there is a lot of external truck traffic on 27th Street.” Beardsell’s motion failed, and thus was left on the table. Council did agree, with Beardsell opposing, to invite provincial transportation minister Kevin Falcon to discuss the issue of highway improvements.“It’s pie in the sky to expect the minister to come here, open his chequebook and say ‘Oh yeh, I’m going to do a whole bunch of things,’” said Beardsell. “The platitude will be ‘well we don’t have it in this year’s budget but we’ll look at it for next year’s budget. We’ll be no further ahead.”