Nothing happens overnight, but sometimes the wheels of bureaucracy turn too slow.
Case in point is Coun. Bob Spiers’ demand for a dangerous goods route in Vernon.
“It’s been on my bucket list since 2012 and I’d like it finished off,” said Spiers.
But that may not happen any time soon as city administration has suggested work on developing such a route won’t occur until late 2018 — a whole year from now.
Now creating a specific route for trucks with hazardous materials isn’t as simple as just throwing up some road signs, as there must be consultation with the transportation sector and the provincial government must also sign off on the initiative. On top of this, city staff has to have some time within its already busy schedule to actually put the plan together.
All of these are legitimate issues, but one still has to wonder why the concept of a dangerous goods route has been dragging for six years. There must have been some spare time in between realigning roads and building bike paths to put this together.
And some would make the case that getting hazardous materials off of local roads, including busy 27th Street, and on to provincial highways 97 and 6 is critical as the general public is put at risk, as are our emergency personnel.
The City of Vernon is continuously realigning priorities because of workload and available funding, so it essentially boils down to what is considered important. Obviously a dangerous goods route isn’t that crucial for some individuals.