South Perimeter Rd & Gordon Dr Extension Alternative Process

[wanderer]

Something Castaneters might like to know about or discuss:

Kelowna News Release
Information Session: South Perimeter Road and Gordon Drive Extension, Alternative Approval Process
February 20, 2018

Kelowna residents are invited to learn more about the required Alternative Approval Process for the proposed accelerated construction of South Perimeter Road and Gordon Drive Extension.

An information session will be open to the public on:

Wednesday Feb. 28, 4 – 7 p.m.

at Capital News Centre, 4105 Gordon Dr.

“South Perimeter Road is proposed to be constructed approximately eight years earlier than identified in the Official Community Plan and at no cost to taxpayers,” said Johannes Saufferer, Real Estate Services Manager. “It will be paid for through Development Cost Charges collected from developers in the area, but the length of the payback period in the funding agreement triggers the City’s requirement for an Alternative Approval Process.”

The Alternative Approval Process (AAP) is open from Feb. 14 to March 16. Qualified residents who oppose the agreement can sign the AAP form, available online at kelowna.ca and for pick-up at City Hall and at the Feb. 28 information session. The signed form must be returned to the City Clerk on or before 4 p.m. on March 16 to be counted. Those in favour of the proposal are not required to do anything.

City Council may proceed with the agreement if it does not receive elector responses against the proposal signed by at least 10 per cent of the electors.

[JennParker]

The only thing this road is going to do is push more traffic towards Benvoulin. For this road to work, the following needs to be done.

The 2 traffic circles need to be upgraded. It is not uncommon for the Cattail circle to be at a stand still because the other one is so congested.

The bridge will need to also be upgraded to handle 2 lanes.

The road from the other traffic circle to the KLO/Benvoulin lights will need to be upgraded.

The access road to Cooper Road (off Benvoulin) would need to be extended. It is already a cluster show on a slow day.

More traffic cannot be put on swamp road until the rest of the infastructure can effectively move traffic.

[Snarf]

I agree. We live in the upper Mission and unless you leave super early or come home a lot later it's basically a parking lot. It's one thing to keep building new developments in an area but they also need to take into consideration the arteries towards these developments.

[JennParker]

The evening south bound traffic on Benvoulin already backs up north of Munson. People trying to get to SE Kelowna end up driving through the subdivision... Or they end up waiting for 3 or more light rotations just to make it to the turning lane. Benvoulin south bound has 2 turning lanes, 1 left and 1 right, and 1 straight. That entire intersection would have to be upgraded. The current infrastructure cannot handle 100 more daily commuters at peak times.

The Mission Flats is already going to add many more vehicles to Benvoulin, and now they want to add more from the Upper Mission area?

[techrtr]

I hate to think what Kelowna is going to be like in 20 years.

[GordonH]

This is the result of very poor planning 30+/- years ago. Kelowna needed more main arteries in both directions (north / south as well east / west). Only real main artery north/south is Gordon, that was & is still not enough. Instead of shrinking Pandosy/Lakeshore, 30 years ago bite the bullet buy up along that corridor & widen it. Now with SOPA & KGH widening is no long possible.

Todays cost of buying up land to widen roadways is a hell of a expense.

Possible idea is to punch Spall threw right up to Kettle Valley, 4 lanes all the way (with the ability to expand to 6 in the future (this will cost big bucks).

[JennParker]

Another solution, while it may be an inconvenience while the adjustment phase is in place, is to make Gordon and Lakeshore each one way. There are so many artery roads connecting them that one would not have to drive far to access the other direction. If they were to re-open Paret Road, there would be a passage for people to gain access to the other direction without have to drive all the way up Chute Lake to gain access to Frost and Gordon.

If Lakeshore was all one way traffic, some of the lights could be eliminated, people would only have to merge into traffic. Same with Gordon. The infrastructure is already there.

Edited to add... Gordon would only have to be 1 way until Old Meadows Road. The south bound lane goes from 2 lanes to 1 lane at that light.

[GordonH]

Another solution, while it may be an inconvenience while the adjustment phase is in place, is to make Gordon and Lakeshore each one way. There are so many artery roads connecting them that one would not have to drive far to access the other direction. If they were to re-open Paret Road, there would be a passage for people to gain access to the other direction without have to drive all the way up Chute Lake to gain access to Frost and Gordon.

If Lakeshore was all one way traffic, some of the lights could be eliminated, people would only have to merge into traffic. Same with Gordon. The infrastructure is already there.

Knowing large amount of Ambulances come from accidents along Hwy 97, that means southbound would be Pandosy/Lakeshore & Gordon would then be northbound.

Added: Ambulance coming from other direction would have to use Cadder Ave.

[JennParker]

The entire road would not have to be 1 way. I edited my last post to add that. If Gordon was North bound only till Old Meadows (at that point south bound traffic only has 1 lane)... it still leaves access to H2O, and such things.

Lake shore could run 1 way till KLO.

[GordonH]

The entire road would not have to be 1 way. I edited my last post to add that. If Gordon was North bound only till Old Meadows (at that point south bound traffic only has 1 lane)... it still leaves access to H2O, and such things.

Lake shore could run 1 way till KLO.

Doing partials will be doing the towing & body shops a huge favour, since this is tourist town for large part of the year. Regulars would get handle on it, tourist would be an accident just waiting to happen.

Got to be made idiot proof..... okay for the smarter idiots. lol

[508]

Another solution, while it may be an inconvenience while the adjustment phase is in place, is to make Gordon and Lakeshore each one way. There are so many artery roads connecting them that one would not have to drive far to access the other direction. If they were to re-open Paret Road, there would be a passage for people to gain access to the other direction without have to drive all the way up Chute Lake to gain access to Frost and Gordon.

If Lakeshore was all one way traffic, some of the lights could be eliminated, people would only have to merge into traffic. Same with Gordon. The infrastructure is already there.

Edited to add... Gordon would only have to be 1 way until Old Meadows Road. The south bound lane goes from 2 lanes to 1 lane at that light.

This would inconvenience a lot of people who don't live in the Upper Mission and thus currently have no traffic issue on Lakeshore or Gordon. Upper Mission residents knew what they were getting into when they bought up there.

[Anonymous123]

I hate to think what Kelowna is going to be like in 20 years.

It'll be like the lower mainland, complete with 33 story buildings.

[Gilchy]

This will be good to alleviate some of the traffic pressure off of Lakeshore and Gordon south of Mission creek, where they back up from the school zones

[Catri]

People in the Mission have never wanted Lakeshore/Pandosy 4-laned, as someone said upthread, it's too late now. Now they're paying the piper. My heart bleeds.

[stevemic]

These are the reasons we need to build up and not out