Outstanding Ministry Projects
Vernon council is upset with the prioritization of the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MoTT) roads in Vernon.
After receiving a document listing five outstanding road projects from MoTT that have still yet to be completed, councillors are ready to advocate for pedestrian safety in the city.
"What is the next step? Should we be writing a letter?" said Coun. Teresa Durning.
Peter Weeber, chief administrative officer for the city, said that they have had brief conversations with MoTT.
"We will advocate when we have the opportunity and staff is following ministry priority," said Weeber. "The priority projects that align with Vernon will be brought forward when given the opportunity.
Danielle DeVries, the city's transportation manager, also added that MoTT's priority is for vehicles to move faster on roads, while council advocacy is for everyone, including pedestrians.
"MoTT is all about adding right and left turn lanes, not for pedestrians," DeVries said.
Coun. Brian Quiring asked if MoTT had responded to the city's request to add a scramble crosswalk at Highway 97 and 32nd Avenue.
"The Ministry is looking on their own, and they did flag that they were not aware of it," said DeVries. "They are doing an engineering review and flagged that they would not support it at that intersection."
Coun. Brian Quiring doesn't believe that they were not aware of it.
"I am not buying that, it sounds like an excuse."
DeVries added that they "finally" got data back from MoTT from July. Thus, they will be able to complete their holistic Highway Corridors Study by February 2025, which is part of the new Transportation Plan development.
Coun. Brian Guy added that if the city took the approach of having their own priorities for road safety, they would need to be "super persuasive" to influence MoTT.
Semi-trucks
Business owners are upset at the parking of semi-trucks on 25th Avenue.
This revelation was made in the 2024 Business Walks Report, which was presented to council by John Perrott, manager of economic development and partnerships.
"Some businesses are upset with the trucks parking on 25th Ave," said Perrott. "It can pose road safety risks, along with business signs being obscured by them."
According to the report, administration will provide this feedback to the appropriate city department to identify potential actions to address the concerns.
The cost of downtown parking and public safety in the downtown core were two other major issues businesses faced.
The Business Walks Report occurred on Oct. 22, whem seven teams visited over 75 businesses throughout the community.
Wholesale Club Bus Shelter
The shelter on 34th Street, in front of the Wholesale Club, has been removed due to safety and vandalism concerns.
Council had previously discussed removing it, as it had been vandalized in the past. The shelter will now be put in storage for winter and re-installed at Fulton High School on South Vernon Drive in the spring.
