(JULIE WHITTET / iNFOnews.ca)
April 29, 2014 - 11:26 AM
THOMPSON OKANAGAN - If you’ve got a gripe with a road near you, it’s time to pipe up.
Until May 26, B.C. motorists, cyclists and pedestrians can cast a vote for their 'Worst Road' nominee. Voters can pinpoint the stretch of road they feel is the worst in B.C. and specify what infrastructure issue they're concerned about. People can vote once per road, but for as many roads as they wish.
"Roads that are jammed with traffic, full of damaging potholes or so deteriorated that you can barely see the road markings can be scary for anyone to use," BCAA associate vice-president of Road Assist Ken Cousin said. "By voting, you can draw some attention to those unsafe or inefficient roads that frustrate you the most."
Eligible roads include any piece of paved infrastructure — including a bridge or tunnel — maintained by a government road authority and meant for public use. Private roads, logging or backcountry roads, and bike paths are not eligible.
When voting is done, BCAA shares the poor scores with road authorities to encourage improvements in dangerous areas.
Last year’s worst road is right here in the Interior. Westside Road twists and turns from West Kelowna to Vernon and has earned a rocky reputation. It’s won the worst roads contest twice in a row, and before that, was runner up.
According to ICBC, there were 245 crashes on Westside Road from 2009-13. Of those, 93 caused injuries and 152 led to property damage alone.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has invested $6.5 million towards improvements such as realignment, paving and slow-moving vehicle pullout projects on Westside Road.
Roads in Kamloops and Cherryville also made last year’s top ten. Todd Road in Kamloops earned tenth place due to pedestrian and cyclist safety concerns, while the Vernon Slocan Highway near Cherryville came in fifth owing mostly to potholes and crumbling pavement.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014