Front Street will soon be closed to vehicles while the city takes down part of the Front Street parkade and starts implementing its waterfront vision, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of bounds for shoppers.
Starting Feb. 1, Front Street will be off-limits to vehicles while the western part of the parkade is deconstructed and a mews is created on a stretch of the frontage road.
“There will still be access down to the local road, and definitely pedestrian access so people will be able to access the businesses there,” said Mayor Jonathan Cote. “The city has been working on putting up signage on Columbia Street letting people know. We are doing everything we can to make sure the public is aware that Front Street is still going to be open for business as a commercial street.”
Although Front Street will be closed to vehicles from Feb. 1 to July 2016, pedestrian and vehicle access will be allowed along the frontage road, with intermittent road closures between Begbie and Sixth streets. The frontage road is the roadway in front of Front Street storefronts.
“We do anticipate it is going to be a tough period of time for the businesses down there. In the end of the day, when the project is complete and the mews is complete, we think it’s going to be a far better retail environment down there,” Cote said. “I think there’s going to be some short-term pain for the businesses on Front Street, but in the end I think there’s going to be some long-term gain and some big opportunities for that street moving forward once this is complete.”
During the closure, commercial vehicles are being re-routed to other regional truck routes where possible. Police will be enforcing the changes to the truck routes.
Lisa Leblanc, the city’s manager of transportation, said the B.C. Trucking Association is aware of the road closures and the potential impacts, as well as the traffic management plan developed to divert truck traffic off of Front Street.
“We are anticipating that some trucks will choose alternate routes because it will be more difficult to get through the city, but we are not directing them to do so,” she said. “It’s recommended in the traffic management plan there’s alternative routes set up, but ultimately it will be their choice.”
Back in 1999, Front Street was closed to traffic for road construction and trucks were detoured to Columbia Street and Royal Avenue. Staff reports from that time state that Front Street merchants noticed a “dramatic decrease” in sales immediately after the road closure, as the traffic news reports stated the road was closed and didn’t mention that local access was available via Sixth Street.
Cote said the city has used information gleaned during the 1999 closure to help formulate a plan for dealing with this year’s construction on Front Street.
“It’s a complicated issue,” said Kendra Johnston, executive director of the Downtown New Westminster Business Improvement Association. “I can tell you that we have been working with the city and the businesses for the last year to prepare for this. The positive is that we have all known it is coming and we have had many meetings, many brainstorming sessions and lot of time to try and wrap our heads around it. Now that we know the date that it’s happening and it’s real, I think that might be a challenge for some people.”
While Front Street merchants are concerned about access to their businesses while the work is underway, Johnston said merchants on Columbia Street and other parts of the downtown are concerned about the traffic diversions. In the big picture, she said most businesses see the benefits of taking down part of the parkade.
“We have been working with businesses on a revisioning of Front Street and what Front Street will be, could be, the types of things we can see happening there, the types of businesses we can see opening there. I think there certainly is excitement over what it can be. The challenge is getting them through the next six to nine months.”
Fast facts:
* Front Street will be closed to vehicles from Feb. 1 to July 2016.
* Pedestrian and vehicle access will be permitted along the frontage road, with intermittent road closures between Begbie and Sixth streets. The frontage road is the two-lane roadway closest to the business storefronts on Front Street.
* Commercial truck traffic will be re-routed to other regional truck routes.
* Eastbound truck traffic on Royal Avenue will be permitted between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
* Westbound truck traffic will be permitted on Columbia Street between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
* Between 9 a.m. and 6 a.m., commercial truck traffic will be permitted on 10th Avenue in westbound and eastbound directions between Southridge Drive and McBride Boulevard.
* The portion of the Front Street parkade west of Sixth Street is being removed.
* The existing frontage road is being redesigned into a mews that includes wider sidewalks, street furniture, lighting, street trees, traffic-calming and angled parking.
