PETERS: Frustrating traffic days are the exception to the rule in Kamloops

Yesterday, there was a gas line struck on West Victoria. The response to the incident led to West Victoria being shut down in both directions.

Even though it’s the site of a big construction project, it is still relied upon as a primary route to get over the Overlanders Bridge every day.

So for a second day in a row, the afternoon commute was messed up.

Today, it’s paving on West Victoria, and another chance for major bottlenecks.

Nothing gets people grumbling like traffic tie-ups.

We simply don’t believe we have the time to sit and wait for problems to be resolved.

For very few of us is that actually true.

It’s not a scientific study, but I’ve spent plenty of time in a lot of different cities in Western Canada.

Kamloops has, on a day-to-day basis, the best traffic flow of any of them.

Many cities filter far too much of their traffic through one or two main routes. Kelowna and Red Deer are both great examples of this.

In Kamloops, our geography is both a blessing and a curse, but when it comes to traffic, being so spread out with a whole bunch of different escape routes from the downtown core means, on a typical day, traffic disperses quickly and efficiently.

Frustrating days like we’ve seen this week are the exceptions that prove the rule.

This is Mental Illness Awareness Week and, rather than treat it as a frustration, we should try to approach a traffic stoppage as a chance for a mental health break.

Turn up the music. Try some breathing exercises. Think about something kind you can do for someone else.

And, on this Thanksgiving weekend, be thankful you don’t live somewhere where traffic jams are the norm.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.

by James Peters

PETERS: Frustrating traffic days are the exception to the rule in Kamloops

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