The board of education unanimously endorsed a motion to oppose expansion of the Pattullo Bridge.
The motion was brought forward by trustee David Phelan, who is concerned that increased vehicle capacity on the bridge will make routes to school more dangerous for children, lead to a deterioration of air quality and reduce the livability of neighbourhoods.
"It was good to see trustees put aside politics and take a united stand on this issue," Phelan said in a media release.
Phelan and fellow trustee Jonina Campbell recently wrote a letter to the editor outlining their concerns and stating their opposition to any bridge expansion.
They are among a number of local residents who are concerned about the negative impact of the bridge expansion on the city.
"We can take the approach that we are projected to have more people and cars, therefore we need to build six or eight lane bridges," Phelan wrote. "But, I don't think that's the right way to look at this issue. We need to envision the future we want for our children and our city, and then develop a detailed plan that will take us there".
The issue has been a hot topic locally since TransLink began considering construction of a new Pattullo Bridge. TransLink has presented four alignments of a six-lane bridge near the existing bridge for the public's consideration.
The City of New Westminster held two forums about its master transportation plan, which included discussions about the bridge expansion, earlier this month and roughly 320 people attended the two sessions.
Most of those people turned up to discuss and hear about the bridge plans.
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