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Driving down Pandosy before and after work? No thanks. Reid's Corner? The struggle is real.
Hurry up and wait is a common sentiment surrounding rush hour in Kelowna.
By B.C. standards, Kelowna is a relatively large city of 127,500 people, along with 32,655 in West Kelowna, but many residents believe the region should not have the traffic congestion that it does.
So which traffic light is the absolute worst? Take a look at some of the more infamous intersections in the city:
Dilworth Drive and Enterprise Way
Benvoulin Road and Springfield Road
Highway 97 and Sexsmith Road
Traffic lights along Harvey Avenue were frequently labeled as problematic by Kelowna residents when asked.
ICBC crash statistics concur with Kelowna drivers as five of the top six crash sites for Kelowna in 2016 were along Harvey Avenue from Gordon Drive (53) to Banks Road (61)
According to ICBC, between 2011 and 2016 the intersection of Harvey and Spall was the site of over 400 car accidents.
The congestion surrounding the Spall corridor, from Bernard Avenue to Springfield, and the need for an advance left turn at the intersection of Water Street were common complaints from Kelowna drivers.
Harvey Avenue and Dilworth Drive
Harvey Avenue and Spall Road
Harvey Avenue and Richter Street
Harvey Avenue and Water Street
For West Kelowna, the speed of drivers coming into the city from Gorman's Lumber Mill and the backup of bridge traffic congestion were both common concerns.
Highway 97 and Elliot Road
Highway 97 and Boucherie Road
Highway 97 and Bartley Road
So what’s the solution?
Open houses were held earlier this year to discuss the potential of a second bridge crossing and where it would land.
All four see a second bridge landing in Kelowna's north end, in between Knox Mountain and the city's downtown core.
However, many residents feel a highway bypassing Kelowna, presumably from West Kelowna straight to Vernon, would be the best option to alleviate bridge congestion and traffic along Harvey.
Check out some of Kelowna's reactions to a second bridge crossing:
"The construction at the north end of the city at Highway 97 and Sexsmith, along with the Rutland realignment, will greatly improve congestion upon completion," said City of Kelowna's Transportation Engineering Specialist, Fred Wollin.
"The City is also reviewing and looking at making improvements for the Spall corridor as that area and those intersections get over capacity at certain peak hours."
A key focus of the city is attempting to get drivers to consider different modes of transportation such as walking, cycling, and transit, which have all seen improvement in infrastructure recently.
Do you have a hot take regarding Kelowna traffic? Let us know in the comments below!
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