Hwy 33 safety petition

Concerns about speeding drivers along Highway 33 through Joe Rich have prompted a local woman to launch a petition on Change.org.

Lindsey Schauerte is asking the Regional District of Central Okanagan to consider requesting the province make safety improvements along the highway.

“My concerns are driving from the hairpin corner through neighbourhoods such as Falcon Ridge and Cardinal Creek, as well as back to Kelowna, and the dangers that we’re encountering from people taking blind corners at unsafe speeds, improper passing, a lot of people going around 120/130 km/h with no law enforcement in place,” said Schauerte.

“I don’t ever see any kind of police out here monitoring these speeds. We’ve had so many fatalities in the last few years and it’s just getting worse.”

She points to a motorcycle crash that left two people dead earlier this year.

“There are 550 homes in the area, with approximately 1,200 residents regularly exposed to these hazardous conditions. The safety of our community and all road users is in jeopardy unless immediate action is taken,” reads the petition.

After getting some flak on social media over a proposal to lower the speed limit, Schauerte says there are plenty of other ways that improvements can be made to safety along the stretch of highway.

“There’s options such as merging lanes, pull over lanes, mirrors, yellow, caution blinking lights and large signs, especially signs for residential areas.”

While locals may be familiar with the bends and twists of the mountain highway, she notes that a lot of out-of-towners drive Highway 33 from Kelowna to Big White Ski Resort and beyond.

She’s encouraging people who live in the Joe Rich area to give their feedback through the comments section on the petition.

One person who signed the petition said they have had three cars crash into their yard in five years along Highway 33, claiming all the incidents were speed-related.

Schauerte said she won’t proceed further unless she gets more signatures on the petition.

Castanet contacted the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to enquire about future plans for safety upgrades along Highway 33 through Joe Rich but was told that “during the provincial election and interregnum period, Government of B.C. communications are limited to critical health and public safety information, as well as statutory requirements.”