EDITORIAL – Let’s cheer for TRU to ignore council’s ultimatum on overpass
(Image: City of Kamloops)
An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
HARDBALL WAS THE NAME of the game at Tuesday’s City council meeting as council members lambasted TRU over the proposed $10-million pedestrian-bicycle bridge over Summit Drive.
Words like “playing games” and “enough is enough” flew fast and furious as council members vented their frustration with the university.
The difference of opinion is over where the thing should go. The City is set on a location further north from the intersection with McGill Road, while the university likes a spot closer to the intersection.
The City has done two studies that confirm its preferred location. Councillors were righteously adamant that it’s best for the general population, not just for TRU students and that TRU seems only interested in what’s best for the institution, i.e. the students.
Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Thank you to the Armchair mayor Mel Rothenberger for injecting some common sense into Summit overpass debate.
He has expressed very clearly the disbelief and anger of many taxpayers in this city.
One would hope there would be some facts or stats to support need for this overpass..none have been presented.
Over one year ago, while in Toronto we noted that the U of T students seemed capable of crossing busy streets in the city center at controlled intersections
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Fred & Pat Kaatz
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This is the first time I have seen a picture of the proposed bridge
… oh. my. god. is that ever ugly. And are those steel cabled dumping ice onto cars, a’la new Port Mann bridge? Wonderful. I’ll start my ICBC claim now.
Wasnt it recently that Kamloops peeps were thinking about finding some kind of ‘iconic infrastructure that will stand out and say – Kamloops’ as a tourism boost and personality trait … like a giant hockey stick or something?
No … we get a ped bridge … great.
Let is all just hope that TRU will find some backbone and get out of the deal, and therefore save Kamloops taxpayers from throwing $5Million away, on a project we didnt ask for or vote for, for a monstrosity of a thing that no one wants, all for a problem that could be so easily rectified with a 300 foot cast iron fence, just like the type Kamloops has gotten so good at erecting – see 100 west Victoria and under the bridge.
Please TRU … back us up here and walk away.
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It’s already been explained multiple times – a fence would be a deer trap/kill zone creating significant safety concerns for animals and drivers. That has been explained multiple times by presenting staff. Would appreciate if you got all the facts before posting opinions.
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So build the fence high enough to make it a pain for students, but low enough for deer. A deer can jump what, 6 foot without batting a tail? I have lived in town for many years and have never seen any deer crossing that road. I used to drive it daily.
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Deer aren’t a serious issue, especially since the fence is needed only along the piece where students access the connector. By the way, there’s already a fence that was built by TRU on the College Heights side about three years ago but unfortunately it’s chain link and quickly had a hole cut in it.
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Wrong. As a person who drives around the area for a living, and has done so for decades, who has seen deer and wildlife all over the region in usual and odd places … the top of Summit below Mcgill is not one of them at all, ever.
I would love to see the evidence of such deer crossing use there, that is anywhere in the number realm where building a fence would be dangerous for them or drivers.
Balance that with the daily chicane actions I have to take to avoid crossing two legged book wielding carbon based waterbags … and the ratio is actually about 10,000 to 1.
I can guarantee that ‘presenting staff’ (more likely contract ‘study’ facilitators) literally dreamed up the justification without any stats at all, so they could keep working on a big expensive project, instead of recommend a fence and their job is done.
Considering the fence would go for a couple hundred feet from the intersection, partly down the hill, and the end could be seen … this really isnt a problem. Deer are not blind, or dumb.
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So because urban deer (a nuisance and invasive development) have entered the city, we should build $10 million dollar bridges to accommodate them?
Come on man. What a silly excuse to not build a fence.
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I propose we replace council with AI. I can guarantee that things will run a lot smoother, things will get done and better decisions will be made.
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As I listened to Matt Milovick on CFJC 5 o’clock news this evening, I could not help but see what a difference there is between the two parties in the “agreement”. One would think that Mr. Milovick should command at least a certain degree of respect from certain members of the gang but that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Why would “a used car salesman” be the one who realizes that agreements are made between people using a far different technique than making demands and taking temper tantrums?
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Instead of spending $10 Million Dollars on an overpass for TRU Students why not put a 10ft fence down the meridiam which would be cheaper & Students would have to use the cross walk.
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We were having these issues back when Mayor Mel was really Mayor. Why was the fence not built then?
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Fingers crossed that this drain on local taxes is a washout.
I really appreciate the beautiful vista I see as I go down the Summit Connector, and don’t want to think of a metal monstrosity obliterating the view of vast rolling hills and wide open sky in the distance. After all, one of the nicest things about Kamloops is the hills and grasslands.
Can you imagine the bridge spray-painted with tags and other unsightly vandalism? However, it may be good place for hanging protest banners or election signs, or even an effigy now and then, ha.
With regard to a fence down the middle of the road, I remember years ago that a fence wasn’t put up because the Connector is a wildlife corridor (there are lots of deer on TRU property).
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What a waste of 10 million dollars. Do we have a price on a fence. We all know – many of is have been there. Students will ignore the crosswalk and the overpass and dash across Summit Drive. Please give up on this crazy overpass idea – build the fence and save some $$.
This is a case of build it and they will not come.
Do we have any costing on up keep when it has been built??
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Judging from the picture, the first thing that’s going to happen is that a truck is going to knock the thing down.
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This is a pertinent observation. Semis do make the trek up the connector. Especially if the highway is closed due to accidents. How long till an oversized load clips the bridge?
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TRU should stick to their guns on this one.
Is Councillor O’Reilly not the President and CEO of Comet Industries here in Kamloops? Is he not also the chair of the Build Kamloops select committee?Perhaps not a conflict of interest on the bridge project but should there be some scrutiny from the public and Corporate Officer on other projects involving land development?
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And Mickey’s wife works for the City in the planning/development department. Mickey should not be on council as he is majorly “skewed”.
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TRU and the city may not be able to agree on the location, but they do seem to agree that the most expensive option, an overpass, is preferable to the cheaper option of a fence. Both have money to burn, apparently.
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Cycliability to TRU from every corner of the city should’ve already be in place in my opinion. As a commuting cyclist I would like to see an overpass at that precise location, a few meters up or down notwithstanding. I am proposing the idea of motorists paying a toll to finance the construction of said overpass even if said idea will be presently met with scorn. Less driving and more riding is needed for better environmental, social and health outcomes for the general population.
Furthermore I certainly do not side with the ridiculous position of TRU but I also don’t side with the City on matters of design and certain ongoing financial issues.
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Why cannot cyclist’s and pedestrians pay the toll for the infrastructure they will use? In terms of user pay what’s good for the goose is good for the gander correct?
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A boondoggle fit for a council such as thee. TRU can’t afford it anymore as their cash cow has been taken away from them. Such a strong and determined council. Not because they want to shield taxpayers from wasteful projects, but because they feel slighted.
TRU, do what council won’t and use your common sense to obliterate this waste of taxpayer funds.
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