New rules for Third Avenue crossing
KAMLOOPS — It’s been an intersection of opinions, as well as pedestrian, rail, and vehicle traffic. The CP Rail crossing on Third Avenue, between Lansdowne and Lorne Streets has been a safety concern since September, when some pedestrians were observed bypassing the gates, or crawling over stopped trains.
There have been several attempts at finding a solution; on Wednesday January 20th, after the Blazers game, Kamloops By-Law officers barricaded off Lorne Street, and directed foot traffic over the pedestrian walkway. That night, there weere several altercations, which resulted in By-Law officers being verbally and physically abused. After that incident, the City of Kamloops, CP Rail, Kamloops RCMP, and the Kamloops Blazers have partnered to help find a better solution.
Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Kamloops, David Trawin said, for the most part, the fans leaving Sandman Centre complied with the By-Law officers. He also said there were some who thought having to walk up and over the pedestrian walkway was too much to ask. “Approximately 100 people were very… volatile.They pushed By-Law officers out of the way, verbally abused By-Law officers. In one case, a By-Law officer was shaken, and was off work for a couple of days. Physically shaken, not mentally shaken.”