Truck traffic, high school top readers' concerns

The results are in for The Record's election survey, and readers voted truck traffic as the number 1 issue in New Westminster.
The online survey was conducted from Oct. 1 to 14, and 74 people responded. Readers were asked to select the top three issues (from a list The Record compiled) that mattered most in this election.

Reader survey: New West residents ranked truck traffic, development and bridges as the top three issues of concern in this civic election.
Screenshot/Survey Monkey

Truck traffic garnered the most votes at 57. Development was second with 31 votes, and bridges ranked third with 29 votes.
Arts and sports programs, crime and seniors' services ranked the lowest with eight, six, and six votes respectively.
Readers also had the option of adding their own concerns, which included traffic in general (not just in relation to trucks), property taxes and tolling the Pattullo Bridge.
The Record used Survey Monkey, a free online tool, to conduct the poll using self-selecting respondents.

Readers ranked the New Westminster Secondary replacement project as the top education election issue, according to results from The Record's online survey.
The survey, conducted from Oct. 1 to 14, attracted 74 respondents, who were asked to select the top three education issues of most concern.

Reader survey: New Westminster residents ranked the high school replacement project, the district budget and education programs as the top three education issues of concern in this civic election.
Screenshot/Survey Monkey

Readers ranked the high school as the number 1 education issue in New Westminster, with 51 votes. The second top-ranked concern was the school district's budget, with 50 votes. The third-ranked issue was education programs, with 30 votes.
Readers also had the opportunity to voice their own concerns, beyond those listed on the survey. Issues included support for special needs students, traffic safety in school zones and "crony nepotism."

WHY I VOTE:
As a bonus question, readers were asked to tell us why they vote, and they told us turn up at the polls to express their choices, justify their viewpoints and shore up their right to complain.
"Voting is a privilege and a responsibility," one reader said. "All citizens are obliged to become informed and cast their vote. Otherwise, no complaining later on."
Some readers also expressed upset with low voter turnout at the polls.
"I find it very frustrating that voter turnout is so extremely low,and that people are actually proud to be apathetic and dismissive of our political system," another reader wrote.
More answers will be shared on the @TheRecord Twitter account leading up to the election, with the hashtags #whyIvote, #readersurvey and  #elxnnw.