My office has been receiving many calls, emails and letters from constituents who are very unsatisfied with the state of our public roads.
For those of us who travel the TransCanada Highway on a regular basis, we can’t help but be reminded that the BC Liberals have failed once again to keep their promises. In the lead up to the 2009 and the 2013 elections, the BC Liberals made great claims that the four-laning of the TransCanada would be completed, but the truth of the matter is that little is being done to complete the project. There is no significant funding allocated in the budget for at least the next three years.
This is simply not acceptable.
The safety of residents and visitors is put in jeopardy because the BC Liberals have failed in their commitment to complete the necessary work on our highway.
But it isn’t just infrastructure that is raising concerns with constituents. Standards for road maintenance are also getting a failing grade.
While government and road maintenance contractors say they are meeting the standard that has been set, the people who rely on these roads say the standard isn’t high enough. Weather events certainly provide a challenge for road crews, but bad weather in this area is entirely predictable.
Residents have no choice but to travel, and road maintenance standards must ensure that people can do that safely. Staying home from school, not going into work and missing needed medical appointments is not an option.
Treacherous driving conditions are the direct result of cuts to resources, and people in this area are saying that the increased danger is too high a price to pay.
My job is to take your concerns to the government. My job is to ensure the minister understands the full consequences of the government’s actions. And my job is to tell your stories.
But you can also make your concerns known to the minister, and I would encourage you to do so. Please write to Minister Todd Stone at minister.transportation@gov.bc.ca.
Norm Macdonald is the NDP MLA for Columbia River Revelstoke. He can be reached by phone at 1-866-870-4188 and by email at norm.macdonald.mla@leg.bc.ca.
