Councillor Wants Bypass In Plan

Written by Peter McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM Wednesday, 28 May 2014 06:01
A Vernon councillor thinks it's important that a highway bypass be at least mentioned in the city's long term transportation plan. Bob Spiers is concerned when city staff say it doesn't need to be considered for the next 25 years. "We've got to keep our options open, especially saying to the province, 'It's going to become necessary, so start putting some dollars away towards it,'" says Spiers. Due to slower than expected growth, staff don't expect the city to reach the required 67-thousand residents for a bypass, until 2080. Earlier projections estimated the city would reach that level by 2050, leading to unacceptable traffic congestion, but now population growth is expected to be a maximum of 1% a year.
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Don Quixote Note:
Do we need to revisit the need for a bypass? (P.46 of Admin updates.
The 2008 traffic model projected the city growth and when it reached 67,000 residents, in 2050, it would experience unacceptable congestion across the city. By 2013 the growth rate seen in the previous 5 years lowered and is now projected to be a maximum of 1% per year. With this new growth rate applied the city can expect to see 67,000 residents in 2080. Therefore a bypass is not an anticipated consideration for the 25 year
time frame of the Transportation Plan. The traffic model determined that through the implementation of Transportation Demand Management (TOM) measures and initiatives over a 25 year period, such that the mode share of trips taken by walking, cycling and transit increases to 20%, would address this future congestion.

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The above was in response to Coun. Okeefe's inquiry from a previous meeting and my repeated queries on whether a bypass would be mentioned in the transportation plan that will be coming back for approval and be amended within the OCP.