Kamloops North Thompson BC Conservative MLA Ward Stamer has been critical over the lack of funding made available to Highway 5 through the North Thompson and through to the Alberta border. He has also raised this issue in his former capacity as the Mayor of Barriere. The following is from Hansard on May 7th:
Ward Stamer: Last night (Tues May 6th), unfortunately, we ran out of time, and I had a couple more questions to the minister on the differentiation in the infrastructure amounts in the last 15 years between Highway 1 from Kamloops to the Alberta border and Highway 5 from Kamloops to the Alberta border — the same.
I have a request, if it’s possible, to the minister. There’s some data relating to Highway 5 that is being collected and has been collected — volume counts. There’s speed data. I’m wondering if there’s a list that I can provide to the minister and his vision or ability to be able to reply to that in this session, if that’s possible — you know, what’s available publicly.
At the same time, last night the minister was explaining some of the rationale between the determination on his ministry’s way of collecting data and determining where investment is needed in our highway system. There was reference to $350 million that was spent on, basically, repairs on the Coquihalla — using that as a frame of the choices between what possibly Highway 5 would require and the prioritization of that portion of Highway 5 on the Coquihalla receiving that money instead of Highway 5 from Kamloops north.
I’d like a little bit more of an explanation of how his ministry is determining the rationale between, as an example, Highway 1 with a $261 million improvement project that is eight kilometres in length…. In Tappen, I understand there’s a bridge replacement over the CPR. I understand there’s an overpass for traffic flow into Sunnybrae. But again, that represents ten times the amount of money that has been spent on Highway 5 from Kamloops to the Alberta border, a highway that is used many times of the year when Highway 1 is closed and that is the only source for commercial traffic to get to Alberta other than the Crows Nest Pass. And we all know that in the wintertime, that is not really a viable route.
So I’d like a little bit more of an explanation of why, consistently, those decisions are being made possibly only on volume data that does not take in crucial time, say, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s taking a whole 24-hour period. I don’t know too many people in this room really care how much traffic is on the highway at 3 a.m. But I’d like a little bit better of an understanding when there’s a push for four-laning to Alberta on Highway 1. We know there’s no way places of that section that will ever be four-laned in our lifetime. I’m going to suggest the Three Valley Gap is not going to be four-laned in the next 50 years.
So I’d like a better understanding from the minister on how his ministry is rationalizing all the investment onto Highway 1 and not Highway 5 North.
Hon. Mike Farnworth: Thanks for the question. No, I appreciate the member’s interest and concern when it comes to Highway 5. I just want to assure him that when we look at whether it’s Highway 5 or others, it’s all looked as part of our overall transportation system.
We do assessments in terms of what’s required. The kinds of approaches we take are the same for each one. We work with the RCMP, we work with our CVS team, our engineers, to identify options for improvement on all those routes. There are many variables, including incidents, traffic volumes, future goods issues, goods movement, population growth — all those things I talked about yesterday.
The reality, at this particular time: Highway 1 is the most used interprovincial route with use that continues to increase more than the others, Particularly since Trans Mountain has now been finished and the Kicking Horse is now done, that’s showing up even more.
So, for example, last year the Kamloops to the Alberta border on Highway 1, the peak daily traffic was 25,000 vehicles at a day. On Highway 5 North, from Kamloops to the Alberta border, the peak in the previous year was 6,000. Last year, it was only 3,800, compared, because of the Trans Mountain being complete and the Kicking Horse being open.
Those are the kinds of factors that come into play in terms of how decisions are made. We also look at, and I know because the member has…. We’ve spoken in the past on some of the safety issues. We look at those, and there is work being done on those safety issues as well.
So yes, I understand the issue, the concern the member’s raised about money — I get that — but it’s also about other things besides money. What is going to make the most effect? What can also be effective in terms of improving safety or improvements? Sometimes the costs for those are significantly different. Some of the issues that we’ve talked about in terms of cameras and things like that are kinds of improvements that we can make. So that’s what I can tell the member in response.
I just wanted to clarify…. You had data that you wanted me to be able to look at and give a response? I’m happy to do that.
Ward Stamer: Yes thank you very much to the minister for the explanation. I look forward to having these conversations in the future, and I look forward to the opportunity to provide that data with you today.
Comments
Post a Comment