During the last several months, the people of Greater Vernon have written numerous letters to Eric Foster, as well as to The Morning Star, regarding putting a traffic signal at Highway 97 and Stickle Road.
I spoke to Foster about this matter several months ago and let him know that a traffic signal was the right thing to do at that intersection. His reply at that time was that 25,000 people per day would think otherwise and that the right solution is to ban left turns from Stickle Road on to Highway 97 and have an extension of 20th Street into Vernon.
I asked him where he got the number 25,000 from and he stated that represents the number of vehicles using the highway in that area every day.
I am certain that a very high percentage of the 25,000 are passing through the area and would not know or care whether it is a recently installed traffic signal or one that has been in use there for several years.
I then reminded Mr. Foster that they should not destroy the park that was recently established in order to extend 20th Street.
Numerous letters in this paper feel the same way I do that this park is a great asset to our community as it is well used by people of all ages every day. It has also been stated that this area should not be replaced by a road since it has great value due to the plant life located within it.
My wife and I use this park regularly, both while walking as well as cycling in it since we will never use Highway 97 between 48th Avenue and Highway 97 as the number and speed of vehicles is not a safe area for cyclists.
That section of the highway has speed signs that vary from 50 to 90 kilometres per hour and the upper limits are not followed by a good percentage of drivers.
We, and numerous others, use the route through the park as most of us cycling on PV Road to the junctions of highways 97 and 97A. We then continue our rides to Old Kamloops Road and switch on to it back to Vernon. It is a picturesque and certainly safer road than Highway 97.
A few weeks ago in an article by Richard Rolke, it stated that Premier Christy Clark defends the decision made by the Ministry of Transportation as it has come to a good compromise.
I believe it is far from a compromise and it makes me wonder how much time she has spent at the actual site. Did she walk the length of the park area that will be destroyed if or when 20th Street is extended?
Was she told, or shown the letters that appear in The Morning Star, and also the letters received by Foster from people in his constituency?
Foster stated that the public has not been ignored as “the ministry held several public meetings.”
I understand that he did not personally attend these public meetings and was presumably told by the ministry folks that all went well and people were accepting their plan.
I could go on but it would be repeating what has already been told by many other folks.
The one item that is very important is that our provincial government states it could take two years for the $9.5 million project to be constructed.
I, and many others who want a traffic light system, believe that system will cost much less and the millions saved could be used by the Ministry of Education and that they use it to allow the numerous schools in our Okanagan Valley keep their doors open.
W. Duncan
Vernon
