Having developed 25 alternatives for the Pattullo Bridge, TransLink, New Westminster and Surrey are reaching out to residents to get their input.
A newly released discussion guide outlines the status of the Pattullo Bridge review process and kicks off a series of public open houses and small group meetings beginning this week. TransLink has been pondering the fate of the 1937 Pattullo Bridge that doesn't meet current seismic standards or roadway guidelines for lane widths and curvature.
"We heard loud and clear last year what they wanted so we have been working hard - Surrey, New West and TransLink - to give them what they asked for," said Darren Woodworth, senior project manager with TransLink. "This is the result of all the hard work."
During last year's consultation process concerning the Pattullo Bridge replacement project, TransLink proposed four alignments of a six-lane bridge near the existing crossing. Many New Westminster residents voiced concerns about the impact the options would have on community livability and safety.
The newly released discussion guide includes 25 alternatives, including crossings at the exiting corridor, the Sapperton Bar corridor and the Tree Island corridor.
"We are showing all 25 alternatives. We are asking for the public's point of view, what are their thoughts on all 25. Is there something we have missed, something we should consider?" Woodworth said. "It's important that public feedback be part of this process in evaluating how we move forward so we have that information before we identify what alternatives we are moving forward with."
Although all 25 options are being put out to the public for its consideration, staff from TransLink, New Westminster and Surrey have identified six alternatives they believe merit further evaluation. These include: rehabilitating the existing Pattullo Bridge to three or four lanes; building a new four-, five- or six-lane bridge at the existing crossing; or building a new four-lane Surrey to Coquitlam Bridge (with a two- or three-lane rehabilitation to the existing Pattullo Bridge).
Woodworth noted that 25 alternatives were proposed, but six were recommended for further study based on the technical and financial objectives identified by the team. The options that haven't been recommended include having no bridge, rehabilitating the Pattullo Bride for pedestrian and cyclist use only, rehabilitating the bridge to two lanes, building a new eight-lane bridge and building a tunnel.
Eugene Wat, the city's manager of infrastructure and planning, said the alternatives were developed through a staff-level review based on eight objectives.
The objectives of the Pattullo Bridge review were: moving toward the regional goal that most trips will be by walking, cycling and transit; minimizing single-occupant vehicle use and vehicle kilometers traveled; minimizing emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants; supporting neighbourhood livability by minimizing and mitigating impacts during construction and providing an esthetically pleasing structure; supporting local and regional land-use plans and economic development; providing reliable access and predictable travel times for all modes and users and an appropriate level of goods movement; providing a safe crossing for all modes, is structurally sound and meets current standards for seismic and ship impacts; and is cost effective.
Wat noted that tunnel options aren't recommended for further study as the "sheer cost" of building a tunnel didn't meet the cost-effective objective. Having looked at the 25 alternatives from a technical and financial perspective, the staff team has recommended alternatives that could move forward for further consideration, including a crossing from Surrey to Coquitlam.
"At this stage, it is a high level look at what the corridor might look like," Wat said. "The detailed component has not been looked at this stage."
The public consultation process kicked off this week with small group meetings in New Westminster and Surrey. Residents are invited to attend open houses that get underway this week and continue until June 15.
In New Westminster, open houses are being held: Thursday, June 6, 6 to 8 p.m., Sapperton Pensioners Hall (318 Keary St.); Tuesday, June 11, 5 to 8 p.m., Inn at the Quay (900 Quayside Dr.); and Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Inn at the Quay. The first half of the open house will be a drop-in format, followed by a 30-minute presentation and a 60-minute question and answer session.
"This is just the start of the process," Woodworth stressed. "The public is going to have a number of opportunities to provide input, not only in June but again in the fall and again in early 2014. This is no one-stop, get your opinion in now."
Woodworth said the public open houses and small group meetings are the first step in moving forward.
"Once we get the information from the public we will combine it with the technical and financial considerations, and we will identify what options or alternatives we should move forward for further study. New Westminster, Surrey and TransLink will work together, as we have been in the past, to provide more detail on those alternatives, such as being able to come back and talk more about traffic impacts," he said. "Then we want to come back in the fall and talk to folks again, find out their thoughts, and from there get that information so we can move forward in early January 2014 to identify one or two alternatives that New West, Surrey and TransLink can agree on as possible solutions."
In addition to the alternatives being presented, Wat said staff also wants input about the objectives that have been identified as being important for the Pattullo Bridge replacement project.
"We tried to capture, from the New Westminster point of view, some of our key concerns. We believe those are reflected in the objectives," Wat said. "We will be interested to hear back from the public what they have to say."
Mayor Wayne Wright encourages residents to take part in the Pattullo Bridge review consultation.
"It's good to see us all get together. We have a full complement of people who have a stake in this, being New Westminster, Surrey and TransLink," he said. "This consultation process you can see, it's long, it's involved. That's what we need to get the answers from the public about what they'll accept."
Wright said the City of New Westminster hasn't taken a position on which option it prefers.
"Not yet. Not until we see it. We are going to have to talk about funding, we are going to have to talk about payment of the funding and all that stuff. But that's down the road a bit," he said. "This is just the opening."
The report released as part of the Pattullo Bridge consultation process indicates that costs for the proposed options could be covered by user-based revenues, subject to additional analysis.
Wat said tolls are one of the user fees that would be considered, but TransLink will pursue funding methods at a later date. He noted that road pricing is part of an ongoing discussion between TransLink, the mayors council and the province.
For more details, visit pattullobridgereview.ca, placespeak.com/PattulloBridgeReview or cityspeaks.ca/Pattullo.
