The new Port Mann Bridge is taking its toll on New Westminster’s traffic and livability.
Jim Lowrie, the city’s director of engineering, said traffic counts done on Royal Avenue and McBride Boulevard near the Pattullo Bridge show that traffic volumes have increased since the tolls were introduced on the Port Mann Bridge last year, as motorists seek free routes. He said the city has seen a “fairly significant” increase of trucks on Royal Avenue since tolls were introduced on the new Port Mann Bridge.
“The Pattullo Bridge was not designed to take these huge trucks that are rumbling over it now,” said Coun. Lorrie Williams. “Neither were our streets.”
A staff report states that 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.
Traffic counts on McBride Boulevard indicate the total daily traffic volume had increased by 3,400 vehicles per day (nine per cent) and the heavy truck traffic has risen by 45 trucks per day (10 per cent). All totaled, about 40,100 vehicles (including 495 heavy trucks) travel along this section of McBride daily.
In addition to counts conducted by the city, staff also analyzed numbers from TransLink’s 24-hour counters on the Pattullo Bridge. The city found that the total daily traffic volumes have increased by 3,700 vehicles per day (five per cent) and heavy truck volumes have increased by 190 per day (10 per cent) in the same time frame.
In response to the traffic findings, staff has recommended that council formally request 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. Staff has also recommended that council ask 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 hour 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.
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy said New Westminster is “ground zero” among communities suffering the consequences of poor transportation planning. He knows of no other place where a bridge carrying regional traffic lands in a residential neighbourhood.
“It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “It is not working.”
Coun. Bill Harper said the level of gridlock and ratrunners is “quite dramatic” and is affecting every neighbourhood in New Westminster.
According to the staff report, the average daily traffic on the Pattullo Bride has increased to more than 70,000 vehicles per day since tolls took effect on the Port Mann Bridge
Coun. Jonathan Cote said the traffic is having a “really negative impact” on New Westminster in terms of traffic congestion and livability. He said that New Westminster is getting the brunt of “significant through traffic” that’s the result of haphazard transportation policies.
Cote said traffic that is best fit for the Port Mann Bridge and Highway 1 is being diverted to local roads that can’t handle the capacity.
He suggested the city invite the province’s transportation minister to come to New Westminster to discuss the issue, “maybe in rush hour, but I do want the person to arrive.”
Council also approved Cote’s motion to explore tolling on the existing Pattullo Bridge. Although a replacement is being considered for the Pattullo Bridge, he said that’s not going to happen for about 10 years and tolls could help fund interim work that’s expected to cost about $300 million.
Coun. Betty McIntosh said there’s gridlock throughout the city every rush hour, including East Sixth Avenue, East Eighth Avenue and East 10th Avenue.
“It’s a spider web now of where traffic is going,” she said.
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr has repeatedly voiced concerns about a 14-kilometre “detour” that forces trucks travelling on South Fraser Perimeter Road to go to 176th Street in order to access the new Port Mann Bridge. Without a proper connection to the Port Mann Bridge, he doesn’t believe lower tolls on the Port Mann Bridge will be enough to convince truckers to take the Port Mann.
“It sounds great,” he said about removing trucks from the Pattullo Bridge. “Without having somewhere else for the trucks to go, it would create havoc.”
