BC On The Move Transportation Plan Detailed
Prince George, B.C. – The Province has released its 10 year $2.5 billion dollar transportation plan. It is a plan that will see a lot of focus on a variety of issues including :repaving, repair of bridges, improving safety at key intersections, and making funds available for increased bike lanes. Here some of the highlights as they pertain to the ‘250’:
Highway 97 – Cariboo Connector
Complete the final four projects announced under Phase 2, including four-laning south of Williams Lake, and initiate planning for future priority projects Construction will begin this summer on the Stone Creek to Williams Road four-laning project between Prince George and Quesnel.
Northwest B.C./Highway 16 – Yellowhead
Construct passing lanes on highways 16 and 37 in the northwest and around Prince George, and take action to reduce rail/road conflicts
Northeast B.C./Highways 97 North and 2
Continue to four-lane highways 97 and 2 from the Alberta border to Fort St. John, and construct new passing lanes north of Fort St. John. This includes $60 million to be spent over the next three years to upgrade roads to support the natural gas industry
Highway 5 – Yellowhead – Kamloops to Tête Jaune Cache
Construct additional passing lanes between Kamloops and Tête Jaune Cache to promote safety and efficiency
There are some other issues which will be of interest to 250News readers:
- Explore opportunities to maintain public access to resource and back-country roads
- Implement strategies for drivers to stay out of the left lane and not impede other traffic
- Introduce new regulations to clarify the definition of winter tires and traction devices
- Design of Sande Overpass and Keith Avenue intersection improvements on Highway 16 in Terrace
There are a couple of items which could have implications for the City of Prince George’s budget. The plan calls for the Province to “Partner with local communities throughout the province to replace half of BC Transit’s fleet over the next 5 years” and to “Partner with local communities to build transit infrastructure to provide more efficient operations and improved transit services.” It is not yet clear on how, or if this transportation plan will impact the Prince George Airport, but the plan does include some focus on airports in general:
- Invest $24 million over the next three years in the new B.C. Air Access Program
- Support development of the aviation industry near B.C. airports and,
- Engage the federal government to enhance B.C.’s aviation sector
Comments
How about spending some of that money teaching the idiots what the difference between a ‘merge’ and a ‘yield’ is?
PG101. We already know. When I’m merging you yield.
And all this money comes from ICBC.. How many insurance companies build roads…lol. What a joke.. We all bow to our communist insurance company
Palopu – I can’t believe nobody has wiped out a pile of cars @ the Pine Center ‘Yield’ as they whip onto the highway, believing they don’t have to stop on the way in.
That is different then what occurs the odd time that I have approached that yield. I could push the people that have stopped there and wait, while ten cars could have merged out onto the highway before they decide to go.
Nothing in the story about the rumoured twinning or replacement of the Salmon River bridge north of P.G.
metalman.
We don’t have any advocacy for transportation in the Central Interior, so we are left with a few crumbs rather than a real transportation plan.
If one had a $500 million dollar budget, then PG and the whole region could be transformed completely. This kind of money was spent on highways in every other region of BC, so why not at the cross roads to the province.
We have so many issues that have a common solution:
– Congestion on highway 16 west, with a death count far to high in a normal winter.
– Dangerous goods risk by rail to our downtown and city center.
– Potential oil spill threat to our watershed we drink from.
– Municipal transit that lacks the critical mass of riders needed for efficiency.
– Affordable housing for seniors within access to health care providers and related services.
– No doctors in small towns like Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, and Fort St James.
If we had light rail transit between PG and Vanderhoof along the Nechako River it would be an iconic tourism draw and would shorten the commute between PG and Vanderhoof to 35-40 minutes. People could live in Vanderhoof and commute to downtown PG. People could shop 7-days a week in PG rather than holding out for a weekend without bad roads. Seniors or those needing health care services especially in the winter could be a short commute away, and then link to the PG transit system once arriving on 1st and George. Out west residents could then attend events held in PG throughout the year. Tourists to both Vanderhoof and PG could spend a day or afternoon touring the other.
If we had regional light rail transit, similar to Via Rail, but a dedicated regional train that has a set schedule 5-times daily each direction. The riders would then cut carbon consumption not needing to drive, it would cut down on congestion on highway 16 west, it would boost the ridership on PG transit, and it would provide employment opportunities at both ends including for PG access to thousands of regional mining job in the Vanderhoof vicinity (in fact enabling them through access to things like qualified tradesmen within a daily commute).
PG faces a huge threat by oil pipelines crossing our watershed, as well as the potential for oil by rail traveling along the Nechako and through our city. An oil explosion like the kind we have seen nearly monthly by these oil cars… if was to happen in our downtown CN yard or along the neighborhoods in the bowl would be an epic disaster. Currently we have the cleanest upstream watershed in the world… that will be far more valuable than an oil pipeline to future generation.
I think the time is now for the provincial and federal governments to ensure our watershed is protected and that any future infrastructure meets our long term needs. I think some kind of partnership to put a rail connection from Hixon across the river and up the Blackwater to Plateau, and then have all pipelines follow this southern route makes the most sense. It would remove the need for the CN Yard to be located on the PG waterfront, and CN Rail dangerous goods from the city of PG, the Nechako valley, and downtown Vanderhoof. If we had a spill than it would only effect the Fraser River south of PG which already has all these risks anyways.
PG should initiate this by passing a local bi-law outlawing the transportation of oil tankers through downtown PG, and encouraging any natural gas pipelines to locate south of the Nechako watershed, rather than through Bear Lake at the watershed headwaters.
Vanderhoof gets less rain, more sunshine, better air quality, less taxes, is a natural trade partner with PG in services and resources, and so strengthening the links between the two communities makes the most long term strategic sense. With better access to PG the potential for Vanderhoof and its surroundings is massive.
IMO it would likely cost $400 million to relocate the commercial rail infrastructure either south or north of PG to the other side of Vanderhoof… bipassing downtown and the Nechako River. It would be the single biggest improvement ever to happen to the city of PG. If BC Rail could sell for a billion, then surely a VIA like train for BC Transit daily scheduled service between PG and Vanderhoof would be doable financially.
Also I think the city should be more vocal about the province and feds paying for an Ospika overpass linking the cities main south/north thoroughfare to Wallmart to alleviate the congestion at the Domano intersection and on Peden Hill.
Also more strategic planing should be taking place for a dangerous goods route, and a south Fraser crossing that could incorporate some kine of fix to the Pacific Street BCR crossing. This would also alleviate the growth of traffic on Peden Hill and highway 16 through town.
Time Will Tell
On the matter of intersections… anyone else notice that the Domano intersection has near perfect arrows, and cross walk lines, despite being under gravel for the entire winter. The province did this and a number of other intersections with thermo plastic… a must for road lines in the north.
Yet when one goes through town, so many places like the new two way on 4th avenue have no road lines visible… a huge safety factor… made worse because its like this all year until fall when the road lines get painted again just in time for winter.
Thermo-plastic however last 4-5 years and actually works to provide real road safety year round.
Whew! I had to stop and take a breath Eagleone!
Anything else that you want tonight? Perhaps a reality check??
No mention off how many km of the Cariboo Con will be done this year. 10 or 20 would be my guess.
Got tired scrolling pasted Eagleone’s posts. I agree with metalman, what about Salmon Valley bridge?
On page 34 of the report , Which states ” Priorities for Action”
Upgrades to 10 major bridges throughout the interior & Northern BC.
Undertake design for replacement the following.
Salmon River & Parsnip River Bridges on Hwy. 97 North.
It is a start.
I hope that helps Metalman & Maverick 1965 .
There’s no new money in this plan, it’s simply a new advertising campaign. Most of the work starts in 2017, just in time for the next election but with this new advertising campaign we get to hear about how great it is for the next 2 years, using our dollars to tell us what a great plan it is.
It is a ten year plan which is just Phase 2 of the 50 year project (five ten year phases) to twin and improve PG to Cache Creek, called the Cariboo Connector. The grandiose signs will get rotten and fall to the ground before this thing is ever completed. It is just a great political mileage getter! Gotta hand it to them!
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