Cullen Taking Notes on Needs of Rural Communities
Prince George, B.C.- Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP, Nathan Cullen has been holding a series of town hall meetings to help identify their infrastructure needs, and transportation was among the issues.
With the Federal Government dedicating $60 billion dollars over the next few years for infrastructure funding, Cullen has been trying to pin point what communities in his constituency need.
“Every community is unique” says Cullen but he says there have been recurring issues. “Safe and affordable transportation across the region, the Highway of Tears came up consistently in just about every town hall. That and affordable housing for low income families, for seniors on fixed income, and just better housing stock.” He says there have also been calls for internet and broadband service for rural areas “That would enable people to create jobs, access government services and training.
On the matter of transportation along Highway 16, Cullen says people are telling him “They want a system that will work. The Province and municipalities have been working on a plan. There is a notion to combine that with some federal support. We’ve spoken to the Federal Transport Minister about this, and there does seem to be some interest coming from Ottawa. If it’s a hub and spoke, or I don’t know what system would work best, but at the end of the day, it’s got to be something peoplecan access, they can use safely that they are not forced into hitch-hiking on the side of the highway and putting themselves at such great risk.”
He says there are no specifics on how a transportation plan might look, “But it will probably be regionally specific. The Regions will have a plan that will work for their needs and it will connect the region in ways that make the most sense.” Cullen points to a town like Burns Lake as an example “There are a number of villages around that access into Burns Lake, and from Burns Lake into a larger centre like Prince George or Prince Rupert.”
Whatever model is adopted , he says the goal remains the same, to “Ensure this highway is safe and that people have options..”
Comments
The Yukon solution is implimenting ride share program but here they just want more money for more buses that run half empty.
Cullen says that at the end of the day, it’s got to be something people can access, they can use safely that they are not forced into hitch-hiking on the side of the highway and putting themselves at such great risk.
Nathan, I’m sorry to inform you that nobody is forcing anybody into hitch-hiking on the side of the highway! People unfortunately choose to hitch hike, in spite of any perceived or real risk!
Regardless of what is done or isn’t done, it would appear that some will still decide to hitch hike!
How many of the ‘Highway of Tears’ missing women were actually kidnapped from highway 16?
Is it 10%? Maybe 5-6 women over 60 years? All the others either went missing from communities along the highway or were found in areas connected to the highway.
‘Highway of Tears’ is more of a slogan like ‘Hey, can yo spare a dime’. Its not actually descriptive of the real problem, and therefore has the unintended consequence of solutions that don’t actually address the real underlying problems.
Its convenient for fund raising and having strength in numbers, but is harmful of the image of some great communities and areas along its length that get short changed on image and tourism potential.
I see ‘Highway of Tear’s’ sloganeering as a loose loose for all involved. It libels the region and doesn’t address the root cause.
Willow River still needs to have its sewer and water project completed.
Benny, I’m still laughing, that was too funny!
But so is Haldi Road LMAO!
Upgrade the highways for safety reasons. Four lane them and if you have some extra paint maybe paint some lines.
I”m with you. Drove back Friday night, raining, no white line, no center line – much of HWY 97 from Cache Creek to PG. No wonder people are having head on collisions. Sure, I can slow down, and I did, but that doesn’t mean the other guy will. Then add in blinding HID headlights.
I know, no lines when it snows, but when it snows, there’s lots of visibility.
Funny, die for the lack of some paint, no one cares. Die at the hands of a monster, millions of dollars roll out – but both are just as dead, and just as missed by their families. Sad thing is, we know our highways are killing us and we can prevent it, the other tragedy isn’t so easily fixed.
Fish and the environment is more important than human lives it seems. Put some real paint down that lasts more than two months.
I suspect that most people who hitchhike do it spontaneously and if there is not a service available when they want to leave they will just go to the highway and put out their thumb. So, I doubt if a transportation service would make any difference unless it ran on an hourly basis.
I agree that the outlying areas need to get some infrastructure money. Willow River in addition to their sewer and water system, could use a new bridge. They have been using a one way baily bridge for the past 5/6 years or more. Where the hell is the Government. Why would you force people to use a one way baily bridge for so many years. If you tried to pull that kind of s..t in Victoria you would be run out of town.
One major project they can get on sooner rather than later is the bypass bridge across the Fraser river to connect 16 East and 97 South with 16 West. In addition they can upgrade 16 West all the way to Prince Rupert/Kitimat, putting in new bridges, overpasses, and passing lanes where needed.
Time to spend some dollars in the North.
“I suspect that most people who hitchhike do it spontaneously and if there is not a service available when they want to leave they will just go to the highway and put out their thumb.”
Duh-uh, therein lies the problem and that cannot be fixed. Unless every small community hires a driver and vehicle 24/7, it cannot be fixed.
Hey Nathan, there are other issues to hang your hat on, get with the program.
” He says there have also been calls for internet and broadband service for rural areas “That would enable people to create jobs, access government services and training.”
Huh? You can’t create jobs without high speed internet? Oh my goodness, however did we survive all these years.
The point he is trying to make is that there are a great many people that work online . And are educated online via bcit . The rural areas are alway cring for people to live in their communities . When one works online and or is educating themselves online , one can live anywhere there is high speed internet .
Oh my goodness, however did we survive all these years ? Answer : without online money spreading through rural communities .
When Stewart’s Internet went out a few months back it wasn’t the gamers making a stink, it was business owners. They order their inventory online.
Why don’t they just provide cell service along the entire highway, give everyone who lives there a cheap phone. Provide a number such as 211 that can be called for free so that before getting into a car, the hitchhiker can register the plate number of the vehicle they’re getting into. The chances of anyone thinking of murdering the hitchhiker would be pretty slim if they knew their plate number was recorded.
It would be a lot cheaper than on-demand transportation service.
And not just the highway but total coverage .
Or consider a variation of Uber … pre-approved drivers willing to provide a form of part time taxi service on demand … cell phone driven
Best idea I have heard.
metalman.
Hey 16 west is not the only hwy in BC with no cell service.
maybe it is time to require cell phone providers to provide expanded service to the rural as a condition of licensing … they are making enough money in the high density areas to extend services out … cell phone tower technology is much more cost efficient than a few years ago.
just a thought, but why is this the responsibility of the cell phone providers?
The cell phone providers don’t tell people to hitch hike. They don’t force people to hitch hike. They run a business and if we don’t like their business, we are not forced to support it. but you think that they should be required to provide expanded service because some choose to hitch hike?
Taxi companies make money in high density areas. Shall we require them to expand their service to low density areas?
Perhaps we should require that First Nations Chiefs address the fact that the vast majority of violence against aboriginal women comes at the hand of aboriginal men?
Perhaps we should require that First Nations Chiefs and Council obtain the necessary vehicles and Class 2 or 4 Drivers Licences and then we should require them to drive their members around so that band members, especially young women have another option instead of making the poor choice to hitch hike?
I’m not defending cell phone companies, but this situation is not their responsibility!
I think its long over due that the feds pay for an Ospika overpass of Highway 16. The traffic on Peden Hill and at the Tyner and 16 intersection is downright dangerous when they are going from the Walmart on ramp, crossing the highway to turn left on Tyner blvd.
With all the developments of residential along the Cranbrook Hill Crest the Ospika completion is going to become more and more important and the longer it takes, the less likely the feds will take part in funding the overpass portion if they switch to a South Fraser bi-pass route.
In any event if PG is the service center for the biggest industrial projects in provincial history, than clearly more industrial traffic on Peden Hill will only increase the urgency of this pending bottleneck to transportation efficiency in the north.
Implement Uber like system for the highway 16 corridor
Force Greyhound to operate daytime buses in both directions
just a thought, but why is this the responsibility of the cell phone providers?
The cell phone providers don’t tell people to hitch hike….Hart Guy
I think you were replying to the “other” issue of high speed internet in rural areas. Telus should get their S*&^ together and get the rural areas “hooked up”. Anotherside is right on with that.
I don’t really care too much about the bridge in Willow River…and I live here. One way is fine, slows traffic down in the area.
However, we need to get the farmers back…all you people who want chickens in the city, we want you to come here and raise your chickens… :-)
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