Columbia Street traffic discourse merges with apartment proposal during Kamloops council meeting

Councillor Margot Middleton says she uses the intersection at Columbia and 11th daily, at peak times and other hours. She calls the intersection a nightmare, saying the loss of the Red Bridge in 2024 has impacted traffic volumes.

“The only break you can catch is if someone pushes for the crosswalk signal. Other than that, it is steady,” Middleton says. “Most, like myself, will opt not to try and make a straight through or a left-hand turn off of 11th on to Columbia. It’s going right, sitting out and making your next left and going through other neighbourhoods that are now being impacted by increased traffic just because of what’s happening on Columbia. There’s that trickle-down effect.”

Responding to council, the city’s current planning manager Eric Beach says the proposed 18-unit apartment building doesn’t trigger a traffic impact assessment. He adds that the city’s traffic and transportation studies those triggers during updates to the Official Community Plan.

Beach adds while there are no plans to install a traffic light at Columbia and 11th, the intersection at Columbia and Ninth is slated to become fully signalized in 2027.

The proposed apartment building on the corner of Columbia and 11th features three one-bedroom units, five one-bedroom plus den units and 10 two-bedroom units, along with 16 unstacked parking spaces.

Council will vote on the proposed apartment building following third reading at a future regular meeting, pending approval from B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Transit.

by Aaron Schulze

Columbia Street traffic discourse merges with apartment proposal during Kamloops council meeting

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