By Chad Klassen

Kamloops residents interested in expanded transit, active transportation plan

Feb 8, 2019 | 10:56 AM

KAMLOOPS — With 13 supplemental items to decide on, mayor and council have some tough decisions to make.

They received input from Kamloops residents at Thursday night’s public budget meeting. Many people in attendance kept coming back to two items in particular: active transporation and transit expansion. 

“Just from a student perspective, that’s how many people get to and from campus and to and from work,” said TRU student Miko Miege-Moffat. “I also think it’s a hallmark of a great city having good public transport and I think a lot of people of my generation are choosing where they live based on things like public transit.”

Sixteen year old Lily Brown also wants people adopting a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly way to get around. 

“I notice that teens nowadays, they like gas-guzzling vehicles a lot more, their big trucks,” he noted. “Just cars all around town, never really walk places or ride their bikes.”

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Are the B.C. Conservatives digging their own graves?

15h ago

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Culturally appropriate food goes beyond the ingredients on a plate

Dec 14, 2024

Two and Out

PETERS: Whether building up or tearing down, Kamloops is what you make it

Dec 13, 2024

If accepted, transit expansion would see 3,000 additional hours and cost $37,500 in 2019 and $112,000 a year moving forward, starting in September. 

Active transportation projects to encourage more walking and cycling would be accelerated at a cost of $315,000 a year over the next 20 years. However, taxpayers would only be on the hook for $50,000 a year.  

The other item brought up was the proposed Stuart Wood cultural centre. 

“I really love the Stuart Wood idea. I love the idea of it being a partnership with Tk’emlups,” said Kamloops resident Margaret Archibald. “I think they’re terrific and they are all great assets for our city as well.”

The city says if all 13 items were to pass, it would add another 1% to the provisional 2.26% tax increase for 2019. But mayor Ken Christian doesn’t think that will happen, receiving differing perspectives on the supplemental list. 

“We heard from people who are wanting us to stay the course and keep taxes as low as possible,” he said. “And then we heard from almost another segment of the room that was looking at additional expenditures.”

Christian says those people were interested in additional recreational opportunities, environmental stewardship, and the active transportation projects. He says council has to determine what the city needs and can afford. 

“We have to balance these competing priorities and we have to look at what’s best for the entire community, not a particularly community,” said Christian. “We do our best. We don’t always get it right, but I think with this particular budget, as I look around municipalities of our size and within our region, I think Kamloops is well below the average, and I think taxpayers in Kamloops are getting good value for their tax dollars.”