Second bridge in Central Okanagan not a solution to traffic congestion, says ministry
Global News
"A second crossing is something that people have felt very passionate about," said Steve Sirett, district manager with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The W.R. Bennett Bridge is the only direct connection between Kelowna and West Kelowna, but it gets heavily congested at times.
And even though it’s been long talked about, a second crossing isn’t coming anytime soon.
“A second crossing is something that people have felt very passionate about,” said Steve Sirett, district manager with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“But the amount of effort and planning that we have done over the last 20 years has told us that a second crossing is not the solution to solve the congestion issues.”
In unveiling its 20-year transportation plan for the Central Okanagan, the Ministry of Transportation revealed that a second crossing would have no overall network benefit and would only increase the number of vehicles on the roads.
“When you built the second crossing, it creates something called induced demand, so it creates more trips that people otherwise wouldn’t have taken which, you know, goes against our sort of goals of sustainable transportation choices and moving people more efficiently than rather than moving more cars,” Sirett said.
But in West Kelowna, where residents are particularly hard-hit with the bridge congestion, the idea of not including a second crossing in the long-term plans is being met with disappointment.
“It would be great, everyone wants one,” said West Kelowna resident Darren Matity.
A new report finds anglophones face higher unemployment and lower wages in Quebec; gaps that researchers say carry major economic consequences.
Critics are questioning the solidity of Saab's pitch to deliver 10,000 jobs in Canada if it decides to set up shop here to assemble Gripen fighter jets.
The girl’s disappearance underscores long-standing concerns about the ease with which a parent can take a child to another country without the other parent’s knowledge or consent.
Asbestos cleanup, tight work windows and other TTC delays have slowed the build out of 5G cellular service in Toronto's subway system.
Alberta's UCP government is changing the rules to make it easier for citizens to force a referendum on issues such as the prospect of the province leaving Confederation.
An at-home DNA test given as a birthday gift solved an 80-year family mystery by revealing that a man in Quebec and a man in the Netherlands were long-lost brothers.
Lina Vargas was on the board for almost two years and told Global News that accountability and transparency are fundamental rights for all community members.
Industry Minister Melanie Joly told the House of Commons committee on international trade the move breaches federal contracts tied to manufacturing in Brampton and Windsor, Ont.
A targeted home invasion and kidnapping led to a gunpoint standoff with police and an overnight chase across Toronto. Two suspects remain at large, investigators say.
In a post on his LinkedIn account, Simon Donner says he resigned on Tuesday and he is grateful for the opportunity to help shape climate policy in Canada.
The development charges can vary greatly from city to city, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation report found.
The three leaders will be in Washington, D.C., for the FIFA World Cup draw, marking the first time they will be in the same room together.
Flu season has arrived early, with CHEO reporting eight times more cases than last year as hospitals warn of rising infections among children and seniors.