A TRULY REGIONAL APPROACH TO TRANSPORTATION IN THE OKANAGAN (2007) The need for transportation infrastructure that encourages and supports economic growth is a fundamental element of a prosperous economy. However, the infrastructure that exists in many parts of the province not only does not support economic growth but in many areas is actually an active deterrent to communities’ ability to prosper.
Nowhere is this more evident than in one of the fastest growing regions of the province – the Okanagan.
With a growing and diverse economy, the region holds significant importance for the province as a significant engine of growth for the future. From manufacturing, agriculture, construction, education, tourism, high-tech as well as strong commercial and institutional development, the economic strength of the region has driven significant in-migration, both from other provinces and from abroad. This growth has had a profound effect on the region and on the transportation infrastructure that has frankly not kept up with this level of growth.
As with any region in a province as vast and geographically distinct as BC, the viability of the local and regional economy is directly linked with the transportation network which serves it. This network includes provincial highways, local roads, transit service, cycling and pedestrian corridors.
This network is not only critical to the larger urban centres in the region but is also critical to the small communities and the rural areas that are an integral part of the social, environmental and economic fabric of the region.
The Chamber believes that along with the “traditional” highway corridor expansion projects, opportunities for innovative projects and initiatives exist, such as public transit and other initiatives directly and indirectly related to transportation issues, that are critical to the future economic success of the region.
In addition to the economic challenges the transportation network brings, there are also significant safety issues. Comparative data series for two six-year periods 1988–1993 vs. 1994–1999 showed that nationally there has been a 19% decrease in the number of fatalities, while the Trans-Canada Highway section from Sicamous to Golden has increased 17%. This 225 km section of highway alone has claimed an average of 10.5 lives per year for the past 12 years.
In recognition of these challenges, in 2004 Western Economic Diversification Canada partnered with the three regional districts in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys to produce the report, “Okanagan Valley Transportation Corridor – An Assessment of Select Projects and Initiatives.”
This report delivered a comprehensive prioritized list of transportation infrastructure projects, focused on the corridors between Osoyoos and Enderby and along the corridor between Osoyoos and Princeton (in essence, Highway 97 and Highway 3).
The Chamber welcomes the recommendations of the report which focus on highway expansion and enhancement projects as well as public transit options. The panel also welcomes the efforts made by the report’s authors to prioritize the projects using a benefit-cost analysis to balance the benefits which a project produces against the costs of producing that benefit.
The Chamber has noted with some interest the application to the Union of BC Municipalities from the Central and Northern Okanagan Regions, “Sustainable Mobility and Regional Transportation Application for Funding.” The Chamber welcomes the focus on a multi-modal, inter-regional, sustainable transportation management strategy.
While The Chamber welcomes this initiative, it should be noted that this project will not deliver a plan for approval until the summer of 2008 at the earliest. This neglects to place the level of importance on the need for immediate improvements.
The scope of the report and the detailed analysis of the various projects are such that it is felt that to advocate for a new study is a wasted exercise. That said, it must be recognized that the footprint of the study does not address the entire region. As such The Chamber believes that the 2004 Report be used as a base for a long-term vision for the entire region.
The Chamber warmly welcomes this recommendation as both a good idea for the Lower Mainland but also a good idea for other regions of the province where a capacity and need exists, such as the Capital Regional District and the Okanagan.
THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS
That the provincial government
- review and take immediate action to implement the recommendations of the Okanagan Valley Transportation Corridor – An Assessment of Select Projects and Initiatives;
- create an integrated, multi-modal transportation vision for the Okanagan region that builds on the Okanagan Valley Transportation Corridor – An Assessment of Select Projects and Initiatives report; and
- work with the regional districts to explore the branding of Highway 97 through the Okanagan, as a valley-wide co-ordinated economic development initiative
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