Highway 97 detour around Peachland: implications....

[HarryToolips]

While reading our local newspapers lately about this Highway 97 detour around Peachland, I have become quite worried..it's amazing how most people only live in their own self centred bubble, and have come completely out of touch with nature...most I am sure, are too ignorant to know the implications this will cause for wildlife in the area, to my knowledge mainly deer.. I hike and hunt this area frequently, and their proposed new route cuts right through important deer habitat that is primarily a very important winter range..

Not to mention it will cost at least $$30 million more to re-route the highway, rather than 4 lane the existing stretch of highway..and I wonder if they would at least add wildlife overpasses to the re-routed highway if that's what they decide to do???? As Hunters and conservationists, how can we prevent this re-routing from happening??

[Walkingwithbous]

I say leave the roads where they are and let the wild STAY wild. But the government doesn't give a shit about that anyways...

[labguy]

The same thing occurred when the Okanagan Connector was built. That area was a world class mule deer range/migration corridor which was split in half by the highway. The remaining wintering deer are a fraction of what once was there. There is one wildlife overpass that was supposed to address the migration. What a joke.

The same thing has happened in countless other areas.......it's called progress. No point in worrying about it because it will happen regardless.

The price we all pay for a world ruled by economics.

[HarryToolips]

^^^^^exactly, it's pathetic....

[Dannybuoy]

http://www.hwy97taskforce.com/pdf/archive/Highway-97-Expansion.pdf

Here`s why it probably will go thru ... sounds like the local politicians support it as well .... goodbye smalltown Peachland

[boxhitch]

Wilderness and wildlife will never stand in the way of an increasing population and their demands for infrastructure. Every new subdivision in the valley in the last 30 years has been on deer habitat and some sheep and goat and moose too.

The whole valley needs a bypass, something proposed decades ago , but the city fathers at the time feared the loss of exposure of commercial entities so kept the routing through downtown everywhere. We are all paying for the congestion now.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

It's a total farce. Total waste of money for very little return...and at the expense of wildlife.

There is really no traffic congestion in Peachland compared to other areas including West Kelowna.

I wouldnt be surprised if someone who is pushing for this owns a piece of property that is part of the proposed route.

[Daybreak]

A decision has to be made and it has to be made soon.

The current two lane section of 97 through Peachland is rapidly becoming insufficient to carry the amount of traffic efficiently and more importantly safely, especially during the summer months. Drought Hill has been and is increasingly the site of serious car accidents. Whether it's bad driving habits or road design it needs improvements. Drought Hill will also be a major hurdle in completing the 4 lane project. There is no room to spare to allow for bypassing during the blasting and construction period on that hill.

Access on and off the highway at the non controlled points is steadily becoming more difficult and dangerous. To put more controlled intersections would only add to the traffic bottle neck that the whole corridor between Kelowna and Antlers Beach has become.

[Bugle M In]

The same thing occurred when the Okanagan Connector was built. That area was a world class mule deer range/migration corridor which was split in half by the highway. The remaining wintering deer are a fraction of what once was there. There is one wildlife overpass that was supposed to address the migration. What a joke.

The same thing has happened in countless other areas.......it's called progress. No point in worrying about it because it will happen regardless.

The price we all pay for a world ruled by economics.

x3..........

[HarryToolips]

It's a total farce. Total waste of money for very little return...and at the expense of wildlife.

There is really no traffic congestion in Peachland compared to other areas including West Kelowna.

I wouldnt be surprised if someone who is pushing for this owns a piece of property that is part of the proposed route.
I wouldn't be surprised either...and your right, traffic ain't bad in Peachland compared to most everywhere else...especially in the summer, it's crowded everywhere in the Okanagan, people are drawn in by the lake and the hot weather, Peachlander's gotta get used to it, just like we have...

[Salty]

The one that usually puts wildlife concerns permanently on the back burner is safety. When you have a highway that has come to see traffic volumes grossly beyond the design for the highway, lots of uncontolled accesses all along the highway you have a very dangerous highway.
Inland Island Freeway
Coquihalla Freeway
OK Connector
A few built lately that have saved a lot of lives that would have been lost on the old routes and ruined a lot of wildlife habitat. The Okanagan keeps growing unless you can send all the people elsewhere including a lot that are already there its going to happen.

[HarryToolips]

Who thinks 'letters to the editor' in our local newspapers would do us any good???

[Salty]

Take this for what it is, my opinion. Its a fairly informed one though. I would recommend you local guys with good knowledge of the wildlife situation there to get involved in the stakeholder meetings and send letters to that format. I wouldn't recommend trying to stop the highway with no other input because it won't happen.

There is opportunity though, quite a bit actually for wildlife mitigation. Years ago when the Coq was built it was simply some underpasses etc to let migration routes continue. Now a days it can be a lot more. Ask for habitat to be created to off set habitat that is sterilized. I don't know the area but things like habitat improvement, burns, creating reserves just off the highway can right a lot of wrongs. Stay on them and demand first class improvements to offset the destruction.

[CodyRules]

great ideas salty

[Daybreak]

Who thinks 'letters to the editor' in our local newspapers would do us any good???

This issue has been on the radar since the early 80's and discussed at all levels extensively in the last 12 years. Numerous traffic count studies by both the MOH and volunteer groups for and against the 4 lane option. It passed the letter to the editor stage of dispute many years ago. All Peachland council members are on the record as in favour of a bypass.

It was suggested in this thread that a bypass would spell the end of small town Peachland. Those in favour of cutting another swath through the hillside express opposite sentiments. It is their feeling that a 4 lane wide highway with increased speed limits and the associated on and off ramps would destroy Peachlands small community feel.

It's my opinion that the decision has already been made and they are just going through the motions now to put in place.

[Seeker]

Take this for what it is, my opinion. Its a fairly informed one though. I would recommend you local guys with good knowledge of the wildlife situation there to get involved in the stakeholder meetings and send letters to that format. I wouldn't recommend trying to stop the highway with no other input because it won't happen.

There is opportunity though, quite a bit actually for wildlife mitigation. Years ago when the Coq was built it was simply some underpasses etc to let migration routes continue. Now a days it can be a lot more. Ask for habitat to be created to off set habitat that is sterilized. I don't know the area but things like habitat improvement, burns, creating reserves just off the highway can right a lot of wrongs. Stay on them and demand first class improvements to offset the destruction.

Fantastic idea Salty. Take a negative and make it as good as we can.

[Salty]

When life gives you lemons make lemonade

[rocksteady]

Only 5% of the population hunts, less than that cares about wildlife and habitat.

95 % drive cars and want to get where they are going in a shorter time period.

Do the math

[ruger#1]

When life gives you lemons make lemonade Make it better with rye. Like your ideas Saltine.

[HarryToolips]

This issue has been on the radar since the early 80's and discussed at all levels extensively in the last 12 years. Numerous traffic count studies by both the MOH and volunteer groups for and against the 4 lane option. It passed the letter to the editor stage of dispute many years ago. All Peachland council members are on the record as in favour of a bypass.

It was suggested in this thread that a bypass would spell the end of small town Peachland. Those in favour of cutting another swath through the hillside express opposite sentiments. It is their feeling that a 4 lane wide highway with increased speed limits and the associated on and off ramps would destroy Peachlands small community feel.

It's my opinion that the decision has already been made and they are just going through the motions now to put in place.
Oh ok thanks for the info.....so they plan then to route all the highway traffic through Princeton Ave??? That wouldnt solve any issue I would think...

[HarryToolips]

And great idea there Salty...

[fireguy]

FYI. As far as the stakeholders go on this in the first meeting there was three people "elected" as members of the public to represent different opinions. One for, one against and one undecided.

the "against" person elected by the crowd is actually the president of the Peachland sportsmanship association and will be bringing wildlife concerns directly to the table

[okas]

Just do it :roll: as at least it will be employment . The oil and gas due a better job of destroying the earth than road building . As far as most people ha ha 90 percent need to leave a bit of wipe hanging out so they can find there own ass .
MAYBE BRING IN SOME MORE NEW CANADIANS { and not trades people or ones with money } instead of wasting money on a new road

[HarryToolips]

FYI. As far as the stakeholders go on this in the first meeting there was three people "elected" as members of the public to represent different opinions. One for, one against and one undecided.

the "against" person elected by the crowd is actually the president of the Peachland sportsmanship association and will be bringing wildlife concerns directly to the table
Great, so who was elected, how can I contact him/her, and how do we bring Salty's ideas forward regarding habitat improvement, if they go through with the new re-route???

[boxhitch]

Numbers count. Get a group of like-minded folk together and make an association.
Oh , wait ! you could join the club that does exist !