TNRD director renews call for speed change through 70 Mile House

Thompson Nicola Regional District Director for Area E Jim Smith is championing the cause to reduce the speed limit through the 70 Mile House corridor. 

Currently, the speed limit on Highway 97 as it runs through the community is 100 km/hr. Over the years many within the community have called for the speed limit to be reduced to 80 kilometres but, to date, the Ministry of Transportation has kept the speed limit the same. Smith said he plans to spearhead a new effort to get the speed reduced with the assistance of Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson. 

"I'm just following up on concerns the community has regarding the speed through the 70 Mile corridor which at present is 100," Smith said. "It's basically a safety and a well-being issue that the residents are concerned about. This has been going on for quite some time now. About four or five years ago another director submitted a similar request asking for a speed reduction." 

Smith, who has served the 70 Mile House and Northern Bonaparte Region since his election in 2022, recently took to social media to post about a correspondence he received from Sandra Griffiths, the district manager for the Ministry of Transportation. In March of 2024, he had requested the ministry once again look into reducing the speed. 

Just before Christmas Smith received his answer from Griffiths, who told him that the ministry had done a traffic study and determined the current speed limit was safe and would remain in place. An offer was made to hold a future meeting to discuss alternatives to the reduction. 

Smith said it's a disappointing result as while he doesn't argue that it is safe to travel at 100 km/hr on the highway, he does believe that a reduction is needed on 70 Mile House's section of Highway 97 where there is so much congestion. 

"The problem is there are 32 driveways, seven businesses, a main intersection and all sorts of exits and entrances on the highway that the residents of 70 Mile House and the surrounding area are concerned about," Smith said. "The majority of the population are senior citizens and we've had several close calls, not resulting in any death, but very close calls. It's only a matter of time, actually."

One of the more dramatic incidents occurred in 2021 when a tire came loose from a vehicle and smashed into a 70 Mile House home, narrowly missing the occupants. This incident led to another review of speed by the Ministry of Transportation which ultimately did not lead to a reduction. 

Smith said that as far as he knows every other community up and down Highway 97 and Highway 1 from Hope to Prince George, has some sort of speed reduction as the highway goes through the community. All he asks for is that 70 Mile House be afforded the same reduction. 

That's why Smith had asked Doerkson for assistance in bringing this issue to Victoria's attention, noting this is a provincial matter. Smith and Doerkson have begun putting together a game plan and Smith pledged he will not be letting this go. 

"It's going to go all the way to the minister if it has to. We're probably going to schedule a meeting with the area director (first) to see if we can come up with a solution to this before we have to go any further," Smith remarked. "There are lots of communities who have lower (speed limits), but the consensus is 80 would give people a little more time to react. Lowering the speed limit is going to change bad behaviour, so that's another issue that needs to be dealt with. I have absolute 100 per cent support from the Clinton RCMP detachment and they are willing to get involved as soon as the speed limit is reduced." 

Smith said he'd like to have this issue resolved by the end of 2025, noting he's not interested in talking about next year. He added that throughout the B.C. Provincial election in 2024 the NDP talked about the importance of hearing from rural communities and seniors and pledged to do better for them. 

"Recognize this issue and do it," Smith challenged. "It's not going away. I'm going to stay on this (issue) until I get told to leave town."