Speeding drivers have Mamit Lake-area residents fed up

Jul 25, 2018 | 4:48 PM

MAMIT LAKE, B.C. — Note: This story has been edited based on new information reported here.

A Mamit Lake-area resident says he and his neighbours are fed up with the B.C. Ministry of Transportation.

Greg McKenna says the community along the highway has been begging to have the speed limit along the road lowered from 90 km/h to 70 km/h.

McKenna says in his neighbourhood, there are 18 driveways that access the highway within 2.4 kilometres.

He says that should be enough to convince MoT that highway speed along that stretch is too fast.

“It’s the speed. It’s the only (populated) area that we can find where the speed limit is not lowered to 70 km/h,” said McKenna.

“The fire in Spences Bridge (Monday) was a perfect example of how much traffic we get through here. They close the highway over there and people come through here and they don’t do 90 km/h. I mean sure, you see people coming through here doing 90, but in our eyes, it’s still too fast.”

McKenna says many of the crashes he has seen near the community involve motorists traveling at highway speed, which is too fast for one particular blind corner.

“There was one two weeks ago. The marks where they hit the bank are still there. And then again this morning, there was a guy coming around that corner… I don’t know exactly what happened, but there was another bad accident,” said McKenna.

McKenna says he has lost several dogs over the years after they were hit by vehicles.

He says he realizes he is responsible for his pets, but doesn’t think they would have died if motorists were directed to slow down.

“I tried two years ago to deal with the Ministry of Transportation to lower the speed limit, and they just flat out said ‘no.’ After I lost my dog here a little while ago – a couple of us have lost our dogs – we went after them again,” said McKenna. “They just said they have done a speed review and they are not going to lower the speed limit.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation told CFJC Today she would look into the matter, but was not able to respond by Wednesday’s deadline.