Increased truck traffic on Royal Avenue is taking its toll on Queen’s Park residents.
In response to a dramatic increase in truck traffic on Royal Avenue after tolls were introduced on the new Port Mann Bridge, the Queen’s Park Residents’ Association wrote to B.C. Transportation Minister Todd Stone asking that trucks be banned from Royal Avenue.
"Your letter is probably just as powerful as a letter from council," Coun. Chuck Puchmayr told a Queen's Park Residents' Association representative at a recent meeting.
David Brett, the association’s president, told council recently that the group continues to receive a lot of feedback from residents who are "alarmed" about the truck traffic and traffic in general. He said the traffic situation has caused a lot of anxiety.
In October, city staff reported that the heavy truck volumes had increased by 63 per cent.
On Dec. 9, Coun. Jaimie McEvoy put forward a motion aimed at dealing with increased truck traffic in the city and the negative impact it’s had on residents. Council approved the recommendation to have staff report back at the next council meeting on the feasibility of removing trucks from Royal Avenue, other measures that can be taken and any immediate short-term measures that can be taken.
According to the city, the average daily traffic volume on Royal Avenue has increased by 1,300 vehicles per day (a five per cent increase), and the heavy truck volume has increased by 360 trucks per day (a 63 per cent increase). Statistics were compiled from September to November 2012, and then between June and August 2013.
McEvoy, who co-chairs the master transportation plan committee, said the city is addressing transportation issues through that process, but understands that more immediate items need attention at this time.
McEvoy said the city has had good support from the community to look at long-term transportation issues and to deal with them.
"I don’t think there is any debate about what is happening on Royal Avenue with the trucks," he said.
Coun. Jonathan Cote, who co-chairs the committee with McEvoy, said transportation issues are top of mind in the community. He said the motion complements the work the city is doing with the master transportation plan.
Coun. Betty McIntosh said the city is inundated with traffic, but other communities also experience traffic gridlock.
"We are not getting people out of their vehicles," she said. “The traffic is just horrible no matter where you go."
While she's not sure there will be any answers to the traffic issues, McIntosh said council will continue working on behalf of New Westminster residents.
In response to the traffic findings released in October, council asked the province to immediately lower tolls for heavy trucks on the Port Mann Bridge to discourage the use of the Pattullo Bridge as a free alternative. Council also asked TransLink to: ban heavy trucks on Pattullo Bridge, if the Pattullo Bridge continues to experience increased traffic volumes due to the diversionary effects of the Port Mann Bridge; approve an extension of the current heavy truck prohibition on Royal Avenue to 24 hours (other than for local deliveries); and establish regional tolling as a travel demand management measure for the Metro Vancouver area as an immediate priority.
