Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

survey launched

Kamloops Cycling Coalition and TRUSU seek input on active transportation in the city

Apr 25, 2023 | 4:07 PM

KAMLOOPS — Without a car, getting around in Kamloops can be challenging. Transit has a reputation for being unreliable, and for many, the infrastructure to cycle up and down the many hills isn’t sufficient to make it a safe, rider-friendly option.

However, two stakeholders have teamed up to try and identify gaps in the active transportation infrastructure within the city – the Kamloops Cycling Coalition (KCC) and Thompson Rivers University Student Union (TRUSU) are looking for citizen feedback on how improvements can be made.

Deb Alore is one of the founding members of the Kamloops Cycling Coalition (KCC) and tries to ride her e-bike whenever possible. However, even as an experienced cyclist, she says it can be difficult to do so safely.

“It is very challenging as a cyclist to enter and exit the campus,” Alore explains. “I live on campus now, so I have some lived experience with that.”

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She and the rest of the KCC have partnered with the TRUSU to undertake a survey, in order to find out how active transportation could be improved throughout the city.

“We’re really excited about it, to basically map some missing active transportation links in Kamloops,” TRUSU Campaigns Coordinator Leif Douglass tells CFJC Today. “So walking, cycling, transit – we thought it made a lot of sense because, as the student union, students are a huge population, they don’t have cars, a lot of them.”

The terrain within the city is one of the barriers to more people cycling to and from work and school. Safety could also be a concern. Even with some of the improvements the city has made in recent years, including the multi-use path along Summit Drive and the Xget’tem’ Trail from Sahali to downtown Kamloops, there is certainly more work to be done.

Image Credit: CFJC Today

“Right now, maybe they don’t feel safe to bike, but if there were some changes maybe they would,” Douglass suggests. “Really, I think it’s looking at all three modes of transportation so people can use a mixture of what works best for them and aren’t forced to drive.”

For Alore, it’s the areas around the already improved infrastructure that needs the most work – intersections like the one at Summit and Notre Dame, where the Xget’tem’ Trail connects. The KCC understands these improvements need to benefit everyone who travels within the city.

“We certainly want to point out things that need to be addressed, but we really feel that if we build relationships and work together, we can make this a community that has the type of infrastructure in it that is safe for all users and is equitable for everyone,” Alore explains. “Even building relationships with motorists is going to be important for us, as well.”

The survey will be available all summer, for anyone interested in providing feedback. The KCC says the data collected will be used when the city opens up engagement on the Transportation Master Plan in the coming years.