Traffic plan should return Seymour Street to two-way

According to the draft plan, and I quote, “Walking is the highest priority as it is the primary human mode of transportation….”

In a city that was built for cars, it’s important to recognize that. But the plan as envisioned seems all about getting from A to B, and nothing in between. By that I mean the impact of getting from A to B on what’s along the way.

So let’s talk about Seymour Street one more time. Kamloops simply has to pay attention to the detrimental effect of having one-way streets go through the downtown core, especially Seymour.

It’s not a friendly street for those on foot. It’s all about speed, a way of getting traffic through the downtown area as fast as possible.

There was a plan years ago for returning Seymour Street to two-way traffic, a move that would slow things down and bring back pedestrians, boost business and improve the lifestyle of the downtown core.

Shelved years ago by timid City councillors, it never shows up in discussions on the future of transportation in Kamloops. The Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association worries about parking, but never talks about what to do with Seymour Street.

The new master plan looks like a good plan. It covers a lot of things, even mentioning the old proposal to extend the bypass along the benchlands below Juniper, a concept that drew outrage before it was quietly abandoned years ago.

And yet, Seymour Street sits, ignored. Time for traffic planners to bring it back into the picture.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

by Armchair Mayor

Traffic plan should return Seymour Street to two-way

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