VOTE JOHN DACOMBE FOR COURTENAY COUNCIL

Transportation Infrastructure

The biggest challenge to driving in Courtenay is that many of our major thoroughfares are not owned, managed, or controlled by the City, but rather the Province through BC MOTT: Cliffe from 29th to the 17th Street bridge, the bridge itself, the bypass, Ryan Road, and 19A up Mission Hill to Anderton.

The City needs to push harder and be much more vocal in getting BC MOTT to improve the safety, design and flow of these choke points.

For example, that the province has done nothing to make the Ryan and Back intersection safer – after over 100 accidents, some fatal - is unconscionable, especially considering an advance left turn light for drivers coming down Ryan Road would be an inexpensive, simple solution and make a considerable difference.

But, to be clear, another road bridge is not happening

We’re not getting a fourth road bridge over the river. Here’s all the reason it’s not going to happen:

  • City Council shut down plans for a fourth road bridge way back before most of the current Council were in place due to cost, environmental factors, and lack of available crossing points. See page 28 of the Transportation Master Plan.

  • Vehicle bridges are insanely expensive. Municipalities pay for the bulk of new infrastructure through their own taxes. Take a look at the City’s capital budget and figure where you’d shoehorn new bridge spending while not incurring massive, eye-watering property tax increases for years to come.

  • Higher levels of government fund the rest of municipal capital projects through specific programs. Currently, there are no programs to fund new road bridges (as opposed to replacement bridges) in urban areas that are already served by road bridges.

  • Remember the Transportation Master Plan? How it said there’s nowhere to put it? Well, there’s even less places to put it now than there were then. One candidate says we should twin the 17th Street bridge. Good luck with getting approvals for expropriation of the land on either side of the existing bridge, not to mention the cost.

OK, are there any solutions to bridge congestion?

Yes. The City of Courtenay can apply for funding from the federal government and province for the replacement of an existing bridge (the Condensory bridge) or the construction of an active transportation bridge (the Six Street bridge, already done).

As well, the province supposedly said way back before the 2022 municipal election that they would change light and traffic patterns on the 17th street bridge to improve traffic flow. Four years later, crickets. The City needs to be louder advocating to the province for these long overdue and relatively low-cost changes.