West Â鶹AV’s draft Transportation Master Plan (TMP) got a positive response at council’s July 22 meeting, but there were several concerns about how the plan addresses traffic congestion now and into the future.
The plan is a long-term guide for improving the city’s transportation network including roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transit. While council appreciated its vision, they questioned whether it accurately reflects current traffic realities and future growth.
“This is kind of covering a 15-year horizon,” Coun. Stephen Johnston said. “My concern would be that if this is showcasing future projections…I don’t think it paints an accurate picture of what life is like on the road here.”
A spokesperson for HDR, one of the plan’s consultants, noted that an appendix in the TMP summarizes a review of existing conditions and the traffic forecasting work that was done.
Coun. Carol Zanon raised concerns about increased congestion once new apartment buildings behind the Synatan Shopping Centre on Carrington Road are occupied, and urged more coordination between the city and Westbank First Nation on planning.
“So the interaction of how the First Nation is attacking the traffic situation on their lands that intersect and affect our lands, I’m not sure how much we can expect from this plan in that direction, but… it would be very much appreciated,” she said.
Coun. Tasha Da Silva zeroed in on when traffic data was gathered. HDR staff confirmed it was collected in the fall, as part of best practices to reflect average, not extreme, traffic conditions.
“That was interesting because we’re a tourist town,” Da Silva said. “So that average day is June all the way up until September… a lot of the complaints that we see from residents are in the summer when we have double the population because of visitors. That plays a lot into how our roads are affected and how they’re deteriorating.”
Coun. Garrett Millsap said the plan should better reflect the impact of emergencies on the city’s traffic flow.
“One little accident can disable our road network,” he said. “That’s the essence of our community—we’re basically held hostage by Highway 97. Until the province fixes it… a rear-ender on the bridge affects an entire community.”
The province is expected to conduct its own studies when considering highway improvements.
Millsap praised the plan overall, howver.
“From what I see here, it’s fantastic. I mean, the bike lanes, the sidewalks, the road upgrades, it looks great.”
Coun. Jason Friesen reminded council that the TMP can only address what’s within the city’s control.
“When we look at the highway… we know it’s there, but what do we have control over? I think you’ve (HDR) done a good job of dealing with that,” he said. “We can’t get too caught up in things that we don’t have much say over.”
The will soon go to public engagement through an online session, expected to begin in late July.
Feedback collected will help shape the final plan, which is scheduled to come back to council for adoption later this summer.
