Transportation

Transportation is essential for the movement of goods and people in the area as well as the vitality of local communities and the economy. The area has three major rail lines (Canadian National, Canadian Pacific and BC Rail).

Local communities depend heavily on the condition of major access routes. Due to rugged terrain, many roads are narrow, winding or steep. Some are prone to rockslides or avalanches. Construction and maintenance costs are high.

Future improvements to transportation infrastructure will depend on, and contribute to, continued development of the area’s forest, agricultural, mineral, tourism and other resources.

Issues:

  • Planning needs to address long-term requirements for new transportation corridors as land use patterns change.
  • First Nations seek participation in transportation infrastructure planning in order to incorporate their land uses and practices and gain access to land and resources.
  • Aesthetic and environmental values need to be considered in transportation corridor planning.
  • Resource managers often fail to recognize the need to modify or improve existing transportation corridors.
  • Jurisdiction over some roads is in dispute and needs resolution.
  • Economical sources of gravel for road maintenance and construction are scarce. Securing existing and future resources is an ongoing challenge.
  • Communities and road users want to be better informed about road development planning as well as construction and maintenance schedules.

Goals:

  • An efficient and effective transportation and communication infrastructure that balances economic, environmental and community values

Objectives Management Direction/Strategies Measures of Success/Targets Intent
1. Ensure transportation planning processes consider approved land use plans, the interests of local governments, First Nations, communities and the public 1.1 Communicate updates to transportation and utility corridors through the LRMP monitoring process
1.2 Maintain the Hurley as a Ministry of Forests’ Road
2. Incorporate aesthetic and environmental values into road construction and maintenance 2.1 Utilize existing utility corridors and infrastructure as much as possible to prevent further impacts to the landscape (e.g. twin energy and utility uses along existing corridors wherever possible)
2.2 Develop access and/or access plans in recognition of First Nation interests, including protecting sensitive First Nation information
3. Maintain options for improving rightsof-way 3.1 Corridor development is to allow for sufficient mitigation/compensation so as to reduce impacts to other resource values This is not intended to override referral and approval processes at the project stage, but to recognize that the establishment of boundaries for protected areas and land use zoning need to be flexible where they abut existing
3.2 Allow flexibility in land use management for integration and development of potential new corridors
4. Improve existing roads (e.g., adding turnouts or passing lanes; replacing temporary bridges with permanent ones) 4.1 Ensure that a bridge replacement program for the key transportation routes is designed to upgrade the numerous temporary structures in the plan area, and that the public is provided with the opportunity to comment on the program such that it minimizes impacts to both businesses and the public Improved road alignments or completed road improvement projects Temporary bridges replaced by permanent ones
5. Agencies responsible for the development and maintenance of access will coordinate activities to ensure that roads built or maintained by the province are under the provincial authority 5.1 Provincial agencies issuing road permits should work cooperatively with private land owners, the federal government and First Nations in order to acquire legal access for roads (which do not currently have a gazetted right of way) that cross private or federal lands Road jurisdiction issues (“trespass” roads) resolved
6. Provide access to sand and gravel consistent with LRMP direction for other resource values 6.1 Where new applications for sand and gravel quarries are being considered, consider the LRMP direction for other resource values Sand and gravel sources identified, evaluated or reserved
7. Communicate maintenance and construction information to local residents and the public 7.1 Minimize impacts from bridge and ditch maintenance as well as ravelling of cut slopes, such as habitat loss, sedimentation, road chemical pollution, etc. Readily available information on road maintenance and construction projects Readily available access and road attribute information
7.2 The Ministry of Forests and Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management should make road and access attribute information available to First Nations, stakeholders and the general public (e.g., location of where summer four-wheel drive access is available and the location of spring closures for grizzly bear management, etc.)