The following are frequently asked questions and answers regarding the Transportation Study. Questions have been grouped by themes for ease of reading.

About the study Why is the study needed?

Highway 97 through Peachland is a vital corridor for long-distance commuter and local traffic. Over the next 20 years, Peachland’s population is expected to grow by approximately 50%. The Peachland Transportation Study is examining the current conditions of the highway and the future needs for transportation through Peachland to determine solutions to help meet needs both now and in the future.

What is the timeframe of the Study?

Phase I of the study began in 2015 to examine the increasing traffic volume in the Central and to address the safety concerns of the region. This long-term study is now in its second phase. Phase II was launched in late 2019 and aims to complete a comprehensive evaluation of the route options against one another and to identify short and medium-term improvement opportunities along the corridor. The Peachland Transportation Study will conclude at the end of 2020.

What are the results of Phase I?

In Phase I, the project team confirmed that the two-lane corridor that runs through Peachland will not reach capacity until 2040. The project team also identified three long-term improvement options: two options that follow an alternate route, bypassing Peachland, and one option that follows the existing highway route. Refinement continued with stakeholders through summer 2019. To read the Phase I report, please click here.

What is the project team studying in Phase II?

In Phase II, short and medium-term improvements are being identified to address safety, transit, active transportation, mobility, connectivity and delays along the corridor. Findings from this phase will provide long-term planning guidance for the region.

When will a decision about the preferred route be made?

As capacity along the corridor is not anticipated to be reached until 2040, a decision regarding the preferred long-term route is not required yet. Until then, the ministry will continue to monitor traffic volumes and travel patterns. The COVID-19 pandemic is a source of uncertainty for future growth in traffic volumes. The pandemic may create long-term changes (e.g. increased prevalence of working from home rather than commuting to work) which could impact peak hour traffic volumes.

All the corridor options have significant environmental, social and economic impacts that will require further study before any final decision can be made. When time comes to move ahead 1 with the long-term solution, the ministry will take into consideration the contexts and realities of the day such as: local development, active transportation, transit, climate change, the Indian Band South Okanagan Commonage Specific (Land) Claim, and funding availability. The results of this study will provide valuable information for the ministry when the time comes to start planning for a four-lane corridor.

Community, Stakeholder and Local government feedback

How will input from the summer 2020 consultation period be considered?

Feedback we receive in Phase II will help to inform the outcome of this study. Findings from this year’s engagement will be shared in Fall 2020.

How is input being gathered for this study?

Public and stakeholder input is an essential component of the study. Engagement has taken place through Phase I of the study, forming a key component of the ministry’s decision-making process. To date, the project team has engaged with:

• Community members through open houses in June and November 2016 • District of Peachland Council • The Regional District of Central Okanagan • Indigenous communities, including Penticton Indian Band, and the • The Community Liaison Committee - established to reflect a cross-section of the Peachland community, as well as represent community groups with differing positions on the study • The Technical Advisory Committee - comprised of planning and engineering representatives from the District of Peachland and the Regional District of Central Okanagan, as well as representatives from the Penticton Indian Band, Westbank First Nation and BC Transit • Online engagement and mail-in feedback forms All input collected at in-person events, online and by mail is reviewed, themed and summarized. Key themes are developed based on commonalities and repeated occurrences and are weighted by the number of comments grouped into them. This information, along with all verbatim comments, is used by the ministry to make an informed decision about how to best select a four-lane corridor.

How is input from local First Nations being considered as part of the engagement process?

Both the Technical Advisory Committee and the Community Liaison Committee have representatives from local First Nations. Additionally, the project team has engaged directly with representatives of the Penticton Indian Band and Westbank First Nation to keep them apprised of the process as it moves forward and to hear their feedback. 2

Corridor route options How are corridor route options evaluated?

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure uses standard accounts and project-specific metrics (or criteria) when evaluating different options.

Local governments, Indigenous communities, stakeholders and the public help identify key impacts and trade-offs that are incorporated into the ministry’s Multiple Account Evaluation (MAE) process. The MAE for Phase I was conducted at a high level to evaluate the alternate and existing route options, in order to select preliminary preferred alternate and existing route options from those shortlisted. There are five main accounts that make up the MAE:

While economic development was not considered through the first phase of analysis, it is being considered through Phase II.

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Property impacts How many properties are impacted by the route options?

As part of Phase I of the study, the ministry approximated the number of potential property impacts. This approximation assessed the degree of impact but did not include specific property locations or costs. If and when we arrive at the preliminary design stage, further analysis and investigation related to property impacts will be required. Once preliminary design has identified the general right-of-way requirements, we will be able to identify specific property impacts and work to minimize impacts as much as possible. Impacts may range from requiring a portion of property where buildings and access are not impacted, to requiring the entire property where buildings and access are impacted.

Stakeholder and community engagement are critical to this project. We realize the potential impacts and are committed to working with you to ensure that you have the information you need and the right channels for sharing your thoughts, concerns and ideas when time comes to select a long-term four-lane corridor option.

How will property owners be compensated if the ministry needs to purchase their property?

The ministry will make every effort to consensually negotiate fair settlements based on market value with property owners. Expropriation of property is used only as a last resort if the ministry and property owner cannot agree on a sale or the amount of compensation. Property acquisition will only be required if and when the study proceeds to a funded project.

Environment How will the ministry ensure that the habitats of local wildlife are protected?

Minimizing the impact on the environment is an important consideration of the Peachland Transportation Study. We have been analyzing options for their potential environmental impact and will consider the environment as a key decision-making criterion (as part of the Multiple Account Evaluation). For example, when we assessed alternate routes AR-1, AR-2 and AR-3 we discovered these options would have significant environmental impacts. These impacts were key factors in the ministry eliminating these options from further consideration.

As part of the spring 2019 refinement process with stakeholders and local and Indigenous government, the project team incorporated wildlife impact mitigation measures into the current options. Those include avoiding water ways, where possible with the alternate alignment, and incorporating wildlife crossings into the design to allow for the safe passage of animals and to allow access to the lakeshore.

We will also explore other infrastructure and design options such as wildlife fences along parts of the alignment when time comes to start planning for a four-lane corridor.

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How will the ministry protect local waterways?

Potential aquatic impacts of each route option will be reviewed as part of the MAE process, and mitigation measures may be included to address any potential impacts. Once options (either short/medium or long-term) move towards the design phase, then further environmental investigation will be undertaken for the option to support any potential provincial and federal permitting requirements. Measures to address impacts during construction could include the need to work outside of fish spawning windows, and spill containment strategies.

Community impacts What will the noise impacts of a new or expanded alignment be?

The ministry will conduct pre- and post-construction sound studies to determine how much of a difference, if any, the changes make to noise impacts in the area. Specific approaches for noise reduction will be determined at a later stage. Potential solutions include retaining walls or end- user solutions such as triple-pane windows.

What kind of connection and access will my community have when the project is completed?

We have heard from the public and stakeholders of the importance of maintaining access to the area’s homes, facilities and recreational areas – including the lakefront. Although specific solutions will not be identified until the recommended corridor option is selected, we are exploring a range of design and infrastructure approaches to ensure strong access is maintained throughout the alignment. Some local road network changes may occur, depending on the recommended corridor option selected. The ministry is committed to working with communities to ensure connection and access throughout.

How does the traffic model work, and where did it come from?

Traffic data in the Peachland area was collected as part of the broader data collection program for the Central Okanagan Planning Study. Information such as traffic volume counts and travel patterns were obtained to understand the travel characteristics along Highway 97 through Peachland.

This information was also used to update and refine the regional travel demand model, which is used to analyze traffic flow patterns throughout the entire Central Okanagan region. The regional travel demand model was originally developed for the Central Okanagan Regional District and the member municipalities. The model was updated by the ministry as part of the Central Okanagan Planning Study.

The data used to develop the model represents pre-pandemic conditions. At this point, the long- term impacts of COVID-19 on travel patterns are highly uncertain. The ministry will continue to monitor trends in traffic volumes and travel patterns over time.

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