Some forms of travel have been cut by as much as 90 per cent by COVID-19 in Kelowna

Not surprisingly, the volume of all forms of travel in Kelowna have dropped dramatically in the last few weeks.

Since the anti-COVID-19 safe-distancing rules were imposed at the start of Spring Break in early March, the City of Kelowna waited for the break to end in order to compare data to last year.

Given that it’s only one week of data (the week ending April 3) the numbers are not definitive, Rafael Villarreal, the city’s manager of integrated transportation, said in an email.

Mid-morning parkade use is down 70 to 80 per cent compared to 2019.

Pedestrian traffic on Bernard Avenue, across from the Sails, is down by 80 to 90 per cent and drops even further by 8 p.m.

Rail Trail traffic is quite weather dependent but is down, west of Spall Avenue by about half for the morning commute (7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) but up by 40 per cent in the afternoon.

Footpath traffic at the Highway 97 underpass have not changed much but has dropped off 80 to 90 per cent at UBCO.

Transit use is down 60 to 80 per cent.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submitphotos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.