Image credit: City of Kamloops

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Proposed changes at First and Lansdowne fix one problem, create others

Jan 18, 2024 | 5:55 AM

THE CITY WANTS INPUT on proposed changes to the intersection at First Avenue and Lansdowne Street, so I’ve got some.

The transportation department says traffic sometimes queues back onto Lorne Street as well as the other streets that feed into that spot.

And, it says, during the afternoon peak hour, the intersection sees volumes northbound on First that are higher than the southbound left-turn traffic from First onto Victoria.

But will the fix be worse than the cure? Traffic backup certainly does occur in that area, but it just takes some patience. It’s nothing like the tie-ups that used to occur coming down from Summit onto Overlanders Bridge before the merge lanes were altered.

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The solution to the perceived problem at 1st and Lansdowne, according to the City’s transportation engineers, is to eliminate the southbound lane that allows drivers to hang a left from First onto Victoria Street and make it into an extra northbound lane on 1st Avenue to channel more traffic onto Lansdowne and Victoria Street West.

It’s a complicated configuration to follow without tracing it out on a map but let’s focus on the fundamentals: the option of a left turn onto Victoria to get back downtown will be gone in favour of the expected improvements at Lansdowne and First.

That means if you’re heading west on Lansdowne and want to circle back to Victoria Street, it’s going to be a bit of a rigamarole — you’ll presumably have to get up to Seymour, then find your way back down to Victoria, so accessing the 100 block won’t be terribly convenient.

The plan also raises some safety questions for pedestrians and cyclists that don’t currently occur at the intersection.

Is that better than having occasional queues at the intersection? Not in my opinion, but maybe in yours. The City’s survey is on the Let’s Talk Kamloops page of the City website until the 26^th.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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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 Pattison Media.