Glenmore Four Laning not Planned...

[dle]

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#212461

I can certainly see Ryan's point of view on this even though it would be a shame to destroy one of the very few "country roads" left that are a nice change of scenery from the zoom of Hwy 97 around here. We 100% use Glenmore when heading to or from the Winfield/Vernon area (which we do a lot) - we never take the highway unless we absolutely have to, such as our destination is somewhere around the airport.

Since we do use the road a lot and have done so for many years, we too have noticed the huge increase in traffic at times (all of us doing the same thing - avoiding the damn highway whenever possible). There are still some days when we have been able to travel from Winfield to Kelowna on a beautiful sunny day and just mosey along like a drive in the country - it's so relaxing - but those times are becoming fewer and farther between. Everyone is on to the "back door" now and why wouldn't we use it - anything a person can do to make the commute in, out and through Kelowna without having to go near that wretched highway is jumped on.

What troubles me about this article is Rafael Villarreal's reasoning for not wanting to do the widening. For him, it's not about ruining a beautiful rural country drive, it's all about competition!? What?

WE are the "Okanagan Valley", the north, central & south, all the way from Vernon to Penticton. It is a short hop, skip & a jump for us to enjoy all "our" valley has to offer. I find it rather short-sighted of Mr. Villarreal to use the excuse not to widen as being " mainly because it's a regional road that connects both communities, but mostly benefits Lake Country ". and "But, any investment we make on roads is competing with other investment around the city," said Villarreal., and "and who will this four-laning benefit."

(1) Tell me how Lake Country would "compete" with Kelowna for business?
(2) What possible "investments" in Lake Country will compete with any in Kelowna?
(3) Making the commute as smooth as possible for OUR Okanagan Valley would benefit ALL of us.

Comments like these from Mr Villarreal on four-laning Glenmore go directly to the reasoning process of this City as to why we haven't seen any action on a bypass. They are STILL wearing their blinders in the infrastructure planning offices. For some unknown reason, they seem to be stuck on "Kelowna will suffer if we make it too easy for people to go around it and not force them to go through the mayhem and stop to buy something".

Want to know one reason I love the bypass system in Kamloops? I can get where I'm going in the blink of an eye, no b.s, no gas burning, no headaches, no road rage. On days when I'm not stopping in Kamloops I can choose to go past which makes me happy. It also makes me happy to know that I can easily get into Kamloops to stop and do some shopping enroute to my eventual destination if it's not Kamloops, without any hassle. Makes it an easy decision to stop. Having bypasses around Kamloops has NOT made their town suffer from lack of tourists dropping spending money - it has probably done the opposite. They make it EASY to stop and shop even if you only have 1/2 an hour - you know it will only take that 1/2 hour.

If I am a tourist heading to Penticton i.e., and have to go through this mini-version of Highway to Hell aka Hwy 97/Harvey Avenue, no way, no how, am I getting off this highway to shop! I am wasting enough time just trying to get through Kelowna - I don't have time to mess around stopping to shop - all because of our gridlock.

I would be sad to see Glenmore 4 laned just for esthetic reasons - certainly not for the cockamamie reasons Mr. Villarreal is laying down - and I want to keep that one stretch of serene scenery pristine. I can see why it may come to pass however, simply because of overload.

[Wave101]

It is not about competition. It is about giving the people in Lake Country easy access to Kelowna which will only encourage more people to move to Lake Country creating even more traffic. More traffic causes more pollution, accidents and other problems.

More roads and more cars are not always the best answer. We should encourage people to live closer to work and amenities, not farther.

[Grandan]

The City of Kelowna has no imminent plans to widen Glenmore Road.

The question was posed to the city's integrated transportation manager following an impassioned plea by a Lake Country resident.

Ryan Campbell sent a letter to mayor and council in both Lake Country and Kelowna, imploring them to four lane Glenmore Road from north of Union Street at the way to Seaton Road.

Campbell says growth in both Kelowna and Lake Country is putting a strain on the road, and more people are using it as a way to bypass Highway 97 traffic when commuting to or from Kelowna.

Traffic manager Rafael Villrreal says the matter of Glenmore Road Road is a complicated one, mainly because it's a regional road that connects both communities, but mostly benefits Lake Country.

He says that makes the business case to four lane the road more difficult.

However, proper analysis has not been done to determine definitively whether the road can, or can't be four-laned.

Villarreal says a regional road review will be completed as part of an overall regional transportation plan.

"But, any investment we make on roads is competing with other investment around the city," said Villarreal.

"So, even though the four laning of the road doesn't go through an urban area so there may be some land, it goes back to how that will compare with other investments we have to make in the city, and who will this four-laning benefit."

I think what Villrreal is saying is that it is a difficult to make Glenmore Road a priority when the benefit for it's construction is largely to Lake Country. You are asking the residents of Kelowna to pay for a road which will bring more traffic into the city from Lake Country. The cost of such widening is not insignificant either, perhaps running up a a tab of $100 million.
How do you sell that to the taxpayers of Kelowna?
I would rather see my tax dollars spent on roads which help me get around Kelowna doing my business than to spend it on helping my neighbours in Lake Country get into Kelowna faster. It is the same reason that you do not see a rush to spend millions on bike paths along Glenmore Road so that a few riders can have a safer ride into the city.
That is what the competition reference is to, not the businesses in both communities. If you are spending taxpayers money you need to make a business case to the taxpayers. There are many other competing needs for the tax dollar, running off willy nilly spending gobs of money on pet projects is irresponsible.

[dle]

It is not about competition. It is about giving the people in Lake Country easy access to Kelowna which will only encourage more people to move to Lake Country creating even more traffic. More traffic causes more pollution, accidents and other problems.

More roads and more cars are not always the best answer. We should encourage people to live closer to work and amenities, not farther.

Sorry, I have to completely disagree with you. I feel you are a person who might enjoy the nightlife and hustle and bustle of the downtown core. I feel suffocated in urban situations. I need green space - to see, to breathe, to have a little space between me and my neighbour. I live in a condo (which is only out of necessity at this point and age). It is stifling even though my complex has gone to great lengths to create lots of green spaces, for walking, sitting, gardening if we choose. It helps a lot but there is nothing like a bit of countryside and natural surroundings to make a person "feel alive" and stimulate the senses if they stop and close their eyes and just breathe.

Stuffing more people into the City centre, urban, no car lifestyle, will only create more cement, at least going up, which is the last thing our senses need. Green spaces, being able to see a horizon, walking on soft ground, being able to see the sky, the mountains, the lake is good for the soul. Cement skyscrapers, designated cement/brick walking paths along what's left of our lakeshore is just sad and soul-sucking.

[Jflem1983]

Sorry, I have to completely disagree with you. I feel you are a person who might enjoy the nightlife and hustle and bustle of the downtown core. I feel suffocated in urban situations. I need green space - to see, to breathe, to have a little space between me and my neighbour. I live in a condo (which is only out of necessity at this point and age). It is stifling even though my complex has gone to great lengths to create lots of green spaces, for walking, sitting, gardening if we choose. It helps a lot but there is nothing like a bit of countryside and natural surroundings to make a person "feel alive" and stimulate the senses if they stop and close their eyes and just breathe.

Stuffing more people into the City centre, urban, no car lifestyle, will only create more cement, at least going up, which is the last thing our senses need. Green spaces, being able to see a horizon, walking on soft ground, being able to see the sky, the mountains, the lake is good for the soul. Cement skyscrapers, designated cement/brick walking paths along what's left of our lakeshore is just sad and soul-sucking.

Bang on

[uniped27]

I just read an article about widening Glenmore rd. The people in this city have no vision. The first road they should look at widening is Enterprise rd. The traffic in Kelowna is ridiculous, and no one is the smarter about moving traffic here. I wish I knew what they get paid for????

[ferri]

Road widening not planned

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/2 ... ot-planned

[KreativeSynergy]

As a resident of North Kelowna/ Lake Country I find the lack of attention to Glenmore Road appalling. I am appalled at reading today that there are NO plans to improve the road, not even a study scheduled. Meanwhile they allow hundreds more houses onto the road area which will stop the flow even further. By the next tourist season, It might be faster to walk that road, let along what happens to the highway intersection at Beaver Lake and Hwy 97 over the summer. Residents and people majorly affected by the road might need to protest in a very public manner.. The problems are only going to get worse and the city is very much in favor of development of many of the single lane sections of Glenmore. This may need to have a visual protest. I think of what happens when there is an accident on the Highway.. it takes people hours to get home because they have to go around. I bet public focus on the issue may be the only way to bring attention to an issue that affects the safety and health of residents of both communities.

[dle]

I just read an article about widening Glenmore rd. The people in this city have no vision. The first road they should look at widening is Enterprise rd. The traffic in Kelowna is ridiculous, and no one is the smarter about moving traffic here. I wish I knew what they get paid for????

I totally agree with your assessment of the traffic/road planning here....it has been the pits since I moved here in 1980 and it remains the pits (only worse pits!) Heard of lots of surveys, committees to "look into things"....the only thing we got was our new bridge (which is already almost inadequate due to lack of foresight), and then we got the mini-bypass which so far goes nowhere (Clement), and now the widening of Hwy 97 in and about Reid's corner and surrounds (badly needed and way overdue), and we got the HOV lane which is a head-shaker to most drivers.

Enterprise is a complete gong show and has been for years! Again, long overdue for widening or??

And could we please get on with the bypass before it costs quadruple what it would have 5 years ago? I know we have to tap MOT for that but let's get on it! They sure aren't going to offer it up - squeaky wheel gets the grease!

[Grandan]

As a resident of North Kelowna/ Lake Country I find the lack of attention to Glenmore Road appalling. I am appalled at reading today that there are NO plans to improve the road, not even a study scheduled. Meanwhile they allow hundreds more houses onto the road area which will stop the flow even further. By the next tourist season, It might be faster to walk that road, let along what happens to the highway intersection at Beaver Lake and Hwy 97 over the summer. Residents and people majorly affected by the road might need to protest in a very public manner.. The problems are only going to get worse and the city is very much in favor of development of many of the single lane sections of Glenmore. This may need to have a visual protest. I think of what happens when there is an accident on the Highway.. it takes people hours to get home because they have to go around. I bet public focus on the issue may be the only way to bring attention to an issue that affects the safety and health of residents of both communities.

Glenmore Road is a regional road, it is not the responsibility of the City of Kelowna to upgrade Glenmore Road so that residents of Lake Country, The Lakes and Carrs Landing can have an easier drive into Kelowna.
The City of Kelowna has very specifically turned down proposals for increasing the amount of housing north of the landfill and this is reflected in the OCP. Where is the new housing you refer to along the road?
If you have a problem with this you need to contact your MLA and MP and lobby them for funding because that is what is needed to make the improvements you are asking for. Funding for arterial roads such as the 11 million for the initial 4 laning through North Glenmore came primarily from the BC government and Canada. It is unfair to stick Kelownians with the bill for the road improvements for people who do not live in the city
Also where is the personal responsibility for moving to Lake Country and then partaking in all the services that Kelowna provides from jobs to entertainment while at the same time as a Lake Country resident you do not pay taxes to Kelowna so you should have no say in what Kelowna does with it's budget.

[RustyCrayon]

I completely agree! I have been stuck in gridlock on Glenmore after major accidents have closed the highway. There is no other way to get from Kelowna to Lake Country (or vise versa).

The intersection at Seaton Road is an absolute nightmare, as well as at highway 97 in the afternoons and evenings, especially during the summer. It's already beyond frustrating and things will only get worse once the new development near Chase Road and the rest of Lakestone (1365 new homes) are completed.

[dirtybiker]

Meanwhile they allow hundreds more houses onto the road . the city is very much in favor of development of many of the single lane sections of Glenmore.

I snipped it a bit...

No problem, the great and educated minds of the powers that be will just riddle the section with traffic lights till it
is no longer a viable option as an alternative route from the Harvey cluster......

I may start using using my boat more.
A bit of a hassle for parking at either end, but no more than for my land vehicle.

[casey60]

Bypass will never happen. Businesses don't want it as they are afraid they loose money. Roads and highways are built for political reasons. Not for moving traffic efficiently. One suggestion that will help is to designate Glenmore to Winfield not allowing large trucks unless its local traffic only.

[dle]

I completely agree! I have been stuck in gridlock on Glenmore after major accidents have closed the highway. There is no other way to get from Kelowna to Lake Country (or vise versa).

The intersection at Seaton Road is an absolute nightmare, as well as at highway 97 in the afternoons and evenings, especially during the summer. It's already beyond frustrating and things will only get worse once the new development near Chase Road and the rest of Lakestone (1365 new homes) are completed.

It doesn't read to me like Grandan is in favour of improving Glenmore, but it reads like you might be to aid congestion along the route so can you please clarify what you are completely agreeing to in Grandan's post?

Maybe I'm still a little sleepy and not engaging my brain here.... (maybe you are not even referring to Grandan's post!)

[dle]

Bypass will never happen. Businesses don't want it as they are afraid they loose money. Roads and highways are built for political reasons. Not for moving traffic efficiently. One suggestion that will help is to designate Glenmore to Winfield not allowing large trucks unless its local traffic only.

If people can get in and out of here QUICKLY if they have other places to be businesses will NOT lose money. They lose money now because once someone is on the road here they won't stop for anything until they are clear through Harvey Avenue/Hwy 97 at each end because they don't have time to waste sitting in our big long stretch of parking lot, er highway. Again, I have to point to the most excellent road infrastructure/bypass of Kamloops. A dream to get in and out and through. I will stop there any day of the week to go into town and shop or eat - no way in heck people do that coming through here!!