Image Credit: Adam Donnelly / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

TRAFFIC CONGESTION IMPACTS

Downtown Kamloops businesses urging residents to visit as detours deter patrons

May 21, 2024 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — Traffic through downtown Kamloops has been snarled periodically over the past month as sewer main replacement work continues in front of City Hall.

In the meantime, businesses in the downtown core are noticing a drop in their usual customer flow, and are trying to remind residents they are still open. Operators say the decreased visitation is another hurdle during what is normally a busy time of year and they can’t help but feel it is related to ongoing construction and subsequent traffic congestion.

“All of our businesses downtown are feeling the pinch of things slowing down,” says Maeghan Summers, one of the owner-operators of the Noble Pig and Underbelly restaurants. “Anytime we have big construction projects that sort of limit guests from coming downtown, it slows us down.”

From what she has seen, Summers says some patrons have been avoiding going into downtown Kamloops and it is having a noticeable impact.

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“We’re down 30 per cent between both businesses right now, which has been a big hit — particularly coming out of the last five years of dynamics that we’ve had. It’s been a big change downtown for us.”

The construction site drivers are going around at First Avenue and Lansdowne Street is meant to add sewer main capacity, an unavoidable reality of a growing neighbourhood. The city’s capital projects manager, Matt Kachel, says work is on schedule, and by next month there will be less detouring to navigate.

“We’re on schedule with this Phase One of the work which has created this work block that we’re seeing here, and we’re on track to have this part removed in the next month, and then we’ll be on to the next block and there will be through traffic allowed through at that point.”

But in an effort to reduce the congestion, Kachel says the city has been adding flaggers, urging drivers to zipper merge and adjusting the timing of traffic lights.

“The traffic control engineer is looking at the modelling all the time and watching to make sure that things are functioning the best they can and making adjustments as we go,” Kachel adds, noting that a detour map of how to access area businesses and drive through the construction zone can be found online on the city’s LetsTalk website.

Shop owners like Deanna DeCicco at Manhandler’s Barbershop say a traffic-related drop in visits is adding to a string of issues downtown has contended with for years.

“The biggest things we hear is they (customers) couldn’t find a parking spot. If they do, the Number One thing is they couldn’t pay for it (because the machines weren’t working), and they’re worried they’re going to get a ticket. And that’s been going on for a long time,” she explains. “And then the other thing is the open drug use that happens, and the fear with the mental health issues, some are just afraid to come into the area.”

Businesses have been getting updates on the project’s progress and are hoping construction will finish on time.

“We don’t want the downtown to die,” stresses Decicco. “We want it to be still vibrant, and we’re working on being there for everyone but we need you to remember we’re here, and try not to avoid us even though it is hard.”

At this point, the message from downtown shops and restaurants is straightforward — yes, there is parking and yes, they are open.

“There is actually a ton of parking, because so many people are not coming down right now. I was standing on the street the other night and we had an entire two blocks of open parking,” adds Summers. “Take the extra five minutes to come downtown, get down here, park, have an awesome time, support these families that have got businesses, because we need you.”