Kamloops council sees too many holes in a downtown transportation choices plan to go ahead with it at this point.
Council voted 5-4 against approving the wide-ranging plan.
Councillor Mike O’Reilly says there are concerns with some of the language throughout the report.
“I think we need to remember, what’s written in our (Official Community Plan) is the downtown is the arts and cultural district for Kamloops. So are building facilities like the performing arts centre. The coliseum is downtown, the art gallery. Creating the downtown as a destination for the region, where people are going to drive to. Furthermore we have the hospital that we know is a regional hospital.”
Councillor Bill Sarai says input was missing from many people who use the downtown core but do not live there.
“I have trouble when we start doing things on a small voice of people that affect a larger group of people. If you want to do it right, then we should have everybody on board and get everybody’s input. When I see in a report that is telling people to shop online, and plan your whole day first thing in the morning and do everything you can in one trip, it’s not feasible for a lot of people.”
City staff explained some of the opportunities for residents to give input on the plan, which included open houses, online surveys and in-person booths at different downtown events, like the Farmers Market and Kamloops Blazers games.
Kathy Sinclair was one of four councillors in favour of the proposal, saying the linchpin for her is that the plan “is expected to remove barriers and provide options to those members of the community that already have a desire to change how they travel.”
“I think sometimes there’s this ‘us and them’ that’s set up… I just want to make the observation that, that is not the intent with this study. We’re really looking at those people who want to make those little shifts,” Sinclair says.
“Something like this, to me, is a win for everyone. It’s people taking up fewer parking spaces, so that those people who do need to drive will find parking spots. It’s reducing GHGs. We know there are people who do need to drive in from outlying communities, and I don’t think this study is meant to condemn those people whatsoever.”
The request from city staff also asked for $50,000 to be added to next year’s budget to bring in 16 “action items” for short-term, mid-term and long-term planning on downtown transportation.
Those items included expanding programs that encourage alternate transportation, bringing in a residential travel planning program, and eventually bringing in car sharing and e-bike sharing, among other matters.
Staff hired WSP as a contractor for $100,000 to put the downtown transportation choices plan together.
