Council blasts Stickle plan

Photo: Darren Handschuh

Members of Vernon council have made plain their disapproval of a Ministry of Transportation proposal for the notorious Stickle Road intersection at Highway 97, north of the city.

The $9.5 million plan would extend 20th Street from Stickle Road to behind Walmart.

“It's such convoluted response to a problem that's been raised in our community,” said Coun. Juliette Cunningham, during a council session with three members of the highways department. “We have had fatal accidents there.”

She said residential areas, businesses and the environment would be affected by the plan and she would prefer a traffic light at the highway intersection.

“The reason for not putting in a light doesn't make any sense to me,” said Cunningham. “When I drive to Kelowna, I stop at a lot of lights.”

“It's so confusing for people. It's going to be a disaster and no one's going to be happy with the solution,” added Coun. Brian Quiring.

Quiring and councillors Scott Anderson and Catherine Lord also called for a stop light at Highway 97 and Stickle Road.

“We've certainly heard from residents and that's what they want,” said Lord.

“There's no support for what's going on now,” Anderson stated.

Mayor Akbal Mund said after the session that while he would prefer a light, he knows “that's not going to happen.”

He did not believe council's late objections would sway the transportation ministry.

“There were only two of us out there for the first three meetings (on Stickle Road). In fact, I think I was the only one there,” said Mund.

The ministry has also been urged to speed up plans for the 43rd Avenue and 32nd Street intersection, in front of Vernon Square Mall.

“It's one of the pinch points in the community,” said Cunningham. “During the tourist season, it is crazy.”

Council was told that a southbound righthand turn at 43rd was in the highways department short-term time frame, but other improvements to that intersection would happen within six-to-10 years.

Further along is a proposed 48th Avenue extension to Old Kamloops Road that might ease congestion at 43rd.

“Definitely, we see great benefit for that link,” said Kathryn Weicker, senior regional transportation planning engineer.

Weicker ruled out a 27th Street extension any time in the near future as well as a bypass.

“What we're actually seeing is now is not the time to start planning for alternate routes,” Weicker told council, adding that population projections from earlier studies were “really ambitious.”

“If there is a big shift in the economy and traffic volumes change then that is a discussion we can have.”