The City of New Westminster will use open houses, questionnaires and a telephone survey to get residents' input about the Pattullo Bridge replacement project.
The city is considering the Pattullo Bridge project within the context of its overall master transportation plan, which is currently underway. The current phase of the plan involves setting the vision and goals.
"We are looking for the overall vision - what do people envision for transportation in New Westminster?" said Coun. Jaimie McEvoy.
Two open houses are being held on Thursday, May 3 to get public input: a seniors focused consultation at Century House from 2 to 4 p.m. (presentation at 2: 30 p.m.); and a general consultation at the Justice Institute of B.C. from 6 to 9 p.m. (presentation at 7 p.m.). The open houses will feature presentation panels, a PowerPoint presentation, and a question and answer session.
McEvoy said he can't emphasize enough the importance of residents attending the open houses and making their thoughts known. While it's been suggested that the six-lane replacement Pattullo Bridge being proposed by TransLink is a "done deal" he doesn't think New Westminster residents haven't been adequately consulted.
"We really want to hear as a city what people really think," he said.
TransLink is currently considering plans for the construction of a new Pattullo Bridge. It has presented four alignments of a six-lane bridge near the existing bridge for the public's consideration.
Rather than participating in TransLink's consultation process, the City of New Westminster has chosen to include consultation about all potential options for the Pattullo Bridge in its own master transportation plan process.
"You can't divide one from the other," McEvoy said. "You can't have a master transportation plan that doesn't address what the Pattullo Bridge looks like."
McEvoy believes the city is at a "once in a lifetime" point where it can have a serious discussion about ways to mitigate the impact of the Pattullo Bridge on New Westminster.
In addition open houses, residents will also be able to make their thoughts about transportation and Pattullo Bridge known via questionnaires that will be available at the open houses and on the city's website.
According to a staff report, topics to be included in the questionnaire will include: support or non support of TransLink's proposal to replace Pattullo Bridge with a new six-lane bridge in close proximity to the existing crossing; support for other locations for a bridge such as Sapperton bar (near Coquitlam) or Tree Island (from Burnaby to Richmond); support for other alternatives such as decommissioning the bridge or reducing the carrying capacity (such as maintaining four travel lanes); potential road connections to a new crossing; and mitigation measures that would be necessary if a new crossing is built. Other topics include the importance of bicycle and pedestrian connections between Surrey and New Westminster, the use of tolling or other road pricing strategies, and support - or non-support - of the city's existing policy of having no new added capacity in the transportation system for vehicles passing through New Westminster.
McEvoy, who is co-chairing the master transportation plan advisory committee with Coun. Jonathan Cote, said the city wants to hear whether residents want the Pattullo Bridge built in New Westminster at all, and if so where they'd like it and how many lanes they'd support. While some people may view the six-lane bridge as being a done deal, he said public opposition can be a "politically powerful" tool for a government agency.
"My view is every option should be on the table. What TransLink has done is the same thing as what it did with the United Boulevard extension," McEvoy said. "They picked the lowest-cost options."
The city will also commission a telephone survey following the open houses to confirm views presented at the open houses about the Pattullo Bridge replacement project.
tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com
