Safety improvements coming to Grizzly Road intersection

[LoneWolf_53]

^^ The fact that you prefer Grizzly doesn't change my observation one bit. I'm sure you'd get to work using one of the alternates as well.

[tgm929]

]

Obviously said by someone who doesn't have to use Grizzly and 97 every day to get to work.
The 'intersection' does nothing at all to slow traffic flow. Separate left turn lanes and right turn merge = doesn't affect the highway traffic in the least.

Except that there is no right turn merge and people just enter the highway without looking at a slow speed and force traffic to slow down, not to mention causing accidents, which also slows traffic down.

Or they turn left into oncoming traffic unsafely, causing traffic to slow down. People also slow down prior to getting to the left turn lanes, causing traffic to slow down.

All intersections cause traffic flow to slow down unless there's no traffic, but since you have to use grizzly, there's going to be traffic.

[Farmmaa]

Except that there is no right turn merge and people just enter the highway without looking at a slow speed and force traffic to slow down, not to mention causing accidents, which also slows traffic down.

Or they turn left into oncoming traffic unsafely, causing traffic to slow down. People also slow down prior to getting to the left turn lanes, causing traffic to slow down.

All intersections cause traffic flow to slow down unless there's no traffic, but since you have to use grizzly, there's going to be traffic.

Kind of difficult to not use Grizzly when you live on Grizzly, wouldn't you think ?
There are more than 500 people living within one block of Grizzly and 97. Having no access to a major route that is less than 100 yds from your home is more than a little inconvenience.

Intersections do not cause accidents. Stupid people and bad drivers cause accidents, no matter how many roads you block off or intersections you close.
I've lived here for five years and sorry, but have yet to see traffic on the highway brought to a standstill by people turning right onto it.

[gardengirl]

Ridiculous. There is ample access to Hwy 97 without Grizzly.
Lots of people have to drive a couple blocks to access the highway. Not one of your complaints is valid.
For example, the new Glenrosa overpass completely changed access to Hwy 97 for as many or more homeowners than in your area. Now they have to take a different route to the highway, in fact, they go much more out of the way than you would.
There is no doubt that it is much safer. That is much more important than having to drive a block or two out of your way.
You are not being rerouted by miles. It's a few blocks, get over it.

[LoneWolf_53]

Ridiculous. There is ample access to Hwy 97 without Grizzly.
Lots of people have to drive a couple blocks to access the highway. Not one of your complaints is valid.
For example, the new Glenrosa overpass completely changed access to Hwy 97 for as many or more homeowners than in your area. Now they have to take a different route to the highway, in fact, they go much more out of the way than you would.
There is no doubt that it is much safer. That is much more important than having to drive a block or two out of your way.
You are not being rerouted by miles. It's a few blocks, get over it.

I agree though I would add that in reality it's not driving a block or two "out of their way" it's simply a "different way" that parallels Hwy 97 more or less and would take them to either Daimler or Elk.

There are many examples of growing urban areas restricting access to major Hwy thoroughfares as much as possible both for safety and efficiency reasons.

I can't think of any place where this approach is more necessary than in Kelowna/West Kelowna where we have but one highway running through the area.

We simply can't have a gazillion intersections just because a few stubborn and selfish individuals feel put off by change.

There will be more intersections removed from Hwy 97 eventually, such as Boucherie/Horizon Drive and those who are accustomed to using that will also have to adapt.

Change happens and no amount of whining will alter that reality.

The key is to make changes that make sense in the long run, and I'm afraid this one doesn't fall into that category.

I sincerely feel any monies spent on Grizzly Road changes are a blatantly stupid use of said monies, that might well be used elsewhere much more efficiently.

After all what is it from the Daimler Rd. light to the Butt Rd. light, a whole 2 kilometres, with Elk Rd. in between? What an utter burden that would be for locals to use Cougar Road or Old Okanagan Highway.

[Farmmaa]

I'm sure none of you would complain at all if the road right in front of your house was blocked off.

What exactly is the point of telling all of the people that use Grizzly every day to use Elk instead ?
All that means is more congestion at a road with exactly the same highway access as Grizzly.
Kind of makes your arguments against Grizzly, mute.

BTW - how about you come to the top of Grizzly, drive down Cougar, turn left on Elk, then left again onto East Boundary to get to the highway every morning, then come back and say it's a block or two out of the way.
Agree totally that access to Daimler from the other side of the hwy is direct and quick, not so much on this side. and until the end of Nov, Elk past Grizzly is down to one lane, do that at rush hour every morning, as you backtrack and drive right past your house.

[LoneWolf_53]

^^ Well for one thing Elk is hardly the same as Grizzly given that Grizzly is situated on a bend in the road which is part of the reason it's been so dangerous, unlike Elk which has dead straight sight lines approaching it from either direction.

I hardly expect those with biased opinions to agree with me, though oddly enough it would seem based on prior posts that most do agree Grizzly is dangerous. You just don't agree with a plausible solution being to save a few million and simply direct traffic toward existing lighted intersections.

The safest intersections to use in that neck of the woods would be Daimler and Butt Road, which incidentally would also take folks to any place of importance they'd need to get to.

All that's required is a bit of change in thinking, and viewing some of the existing infrastructure as service roads, rather than being stuck on the mindset that you must have direct access to Hwy97.

I think some of you need to broaden your horizons, and visit some other places to note how they deal with traffic issues.

It's hard not to feel like many of you think you're entitled to have your driveways tie directly into Hwy97.

[GordonH]

Looking at Grizzly Rd & Hwy 97 here https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Grizzly+ ... 4,,0,-7.31

Than looking Elk Rd & Hwy 97 here https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Elk+Rd,+ ... =12,0,,0,0

LoneWolf_53 is correct the line of vision is better at Elk. Also if you notice at Elk you are not able to make a left off Elk only onto. Plus you're not able to go straight across Hwy 97 either, unlike at Grizzly. So IMPO a similar setup as at Elk should be placed at Grizzly no left turns off Grizzly onto Hwy 97.

Oh when opening above links use full screen then your able to do 360 degree pan.

Added: For pedestrian safety few pedestrian Underpass would be good at locations between Westbank & Westside Rd.

[LoneWolf_53]

Also if you notice at Elk you are not able to make a left off Elk only onto.

An approach that I feel was well thought out because Butt Road is quite close by and it's much safer to turn left at a light than taking on a four lane busy highway.

Plus you're not able to go straight across Hwy 97 either, unlike at Grizzly. So IMPO a similar setup as at Elk should be placed at Grizzly no left turns off Grizzly onto Hwy 97.

Oh when opening above links use full screen then your able to do 360 degree pan.

Added: For pedestrian safety few pedestrian Underpass would be good at locations between Westbank & Westside Rd.

I haven't actually looked into how the Grizzly Road upgrade is designed, other than having driven through there on Saturday and noticing that it is an extensive expensive undertaking which in my honest opinion is not necessary to save lives. A few concrete barricades blocking off Grizzly from Hwy97 would have been much cheaper and done the same job.

There's no compelling reason to have that many intersections on Hwy97 in that short stretch of road, at least not beyond the stubbornness and sense of entitlement embraced by a hand full.

Pedestrian underpasses might be a good idea I agree. The two mil would actually be better spent doing that.

[gardengirl]

I'm sure none of you would complain at all if the road right in front of your house was blocked off.

What exactly is the point of telling all of the people that use Grizzly every day to use Elk instead ?
All that means is more congestion at a road with exactly the same highway access as Grizzly.
Kind of makes your arguments against Grizzly, mute.

BTW - how about you come to the top of Grizzly, drive down Cougar, turn left on Elk, then left again onto East Boundary to get to the highway every morning, then come back and say it's a block or two out of the way.
Agree totally that access to Daimler from the other side of the hwy is direct and quick, not so much on this side. and until the end of Nov, Elk past Grizzly is down to one lane, do that at rush hour every morning, as you backtrack and drive right past your house.

Oh please. Get over it. Some of us have, in fact, had our routes significantly changed. Suck it up princess.
Your over exaggeration and over dramatization is asinine. As for "rush hour"....seriously? Try living in a real city.
However you describe it, the difference in distance is a few blocks. I guess when you are in a trailer park your concept of a city block is a bit skewed.

[oneh2obabe]

I guess when you are in a trailer park your concept of a city block is a bit skewed.

What a condescending attitude. Does it really matter if one lives on top of a mountain, in the middle of town, out in the country, in a gated community, or in a mobile home park in order to know how big a city block is?

FYI ... Spacing of streets in grid plans varies widely among cities, or even within cities, making it difficult to generalize about the size of a city block. However, standard square blocks are 260'x260' , 330'x330', and 410'x410' respectively to the street centre line.

[Farmmaa]

Oh please. Get over it. Some of us have, in fact, had our routes significantly changed. Suck it up princess.
Your over exaggeration and over dramatization is asinine. As for "rush hour"....seriously? Try living in a real city.
However you describe it, the difference in distance is a few blocks. I guess when you are in a trailer park your concept of a city block is a bit skewed.

Ah, I see your point now. No one lives on Grizzly except natives and trailer trash, who have no concept of what real people face every day.
Indeed, as the crow flies, Grizzly to Daimler looks like a few blocks - but there is no road joining one to the other. A few miles is hardly anyone's idea of a city block hon.
If you don't think there is a rush hour trying to get here from Kelowna after work, you obviously don't work in Kelowna.
Then again, I don't suppose most of the trash living here have jobs anyways, right ?

[fluffy]

Dial it back a bit folks, sarcasm and insult do not contribute to the discussion in a meaningful way - fluffy

[Catz]

I guess when you are in a trailer park your concept of a city block is a bit skewed.

OMG...I think I have seen everything. This comment is one of the most judgementle I have seen in a long time.
How or why the hell should it matter if they live in a trailer park? That makes their concerns and frustrations less valid?
Wow...just wow.

[gardengirl]

Fair enough. I was out of line. I apologize to all I have offended. I would go back and delete the offending comment, but it has been quoted, so there it stays.