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RE: Update: Vehicle plunges into lake
The tragic loss of life on Westside Road last night has prompted me to make local residents aware of a dangerous proposal being put forward by a for-profit sporting Event.
The RBC Gran Fondo Kelowna cycling event is scheduled for July 16, 2011. The route for this cycling event was recently announced and includes a round-trip ride of thousands of cyclists on Westside Road. Gran Fondo has applied to the Department of Highways to close the southbound lane of Westside Road to motor traffic on July 16th. This is one of the busiest tourist Saturdays of the summer.
There are two major resorts, hundreds of seasonal and permanent residents, two provincial parks and local day traffic on this road. There are no alternate routes to and from Westside Road. If you need to be there, or you live there and have to go to Vernon or Kelowna you must use this road. You can add bears, deer and big horn sheep to the mix. Also, I am aware of three weddings planned for this date at Westside Road businesses or residences.
Then there was the recent article about the Bear Creek boat launch being closed to the public with the recommendation that boaters launch at Killiney or Fintry, both of which are north on Westside Road. So now we have vehicles towing boats, along with the motorhomes and trailers heading towards Fintry Provincial Park. As many of you are aware, this road is barely wide enough for the existing traffic, and many motorists “shave” the corners. All of this makes for deadly road conditions without adding thousands of cyclists and reducing the road to one lane.
While I would like to support this event, Westside Road is simply not a safe or viable route. There are no alternate routes to this area which means traffic will have to co-exist with these cyclists and I predict another tragedy.
If you are as concerned about this as we are, please contact the Regional Director for Westside Road [email protected], Media Relations at RBC [email protected], or our local Department of Highways.
Jill Clark
Westside Road Resident and Employee of La Casa Cottage Resort
