Dear Editor:
Re: A 'once in a lifetime' point for the city, The Record, April 25. I would like to join Coun. McEvoy in emphasizing the importance of the two open houses coming up on Thursday, May 3.
TransLink is making plans to spend up to $1 billion of your money to replace the iconic Pattullo Bridge with a six-lane bridge. TransLink's own projections about the impact on New Westminster of that bridge include a 50 per cent increase in the number of cars entering New Westminster's surface streets from the Pattullo Bridge, and a doubling in the number of heavy trucks.
You think traffic on Royal, McBride, Stewardson and Brunette is bad now? A six-lane Pattullo is guaranteed to make it much worse.
All the negative effects of that throughtraffic will also get worse: "rat-runners" speeding through our neighbourhoods to get to the bridge faster, terrible air quality, and reduced mobility and safety for our own residents within the city.
If you care about the future of New Westminster, now is the time to speak out.
Go to one of the city open houses and tell city staff and officials to not accept TransLink's dictatorial decision-making. We must demand that TransLink engage in real community consultation before they spend your money.
Patrick Johnstone, New Westminster
