The New Westminster Chamber of Commerce is calling on the community to vote "Yes" in the upcoming transit and transportation referendum.
"Our community has a lot on the line with this vote," Christine Conway, chair of the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce, said in a media release. "A 'Yes' vote means less congestion, a stronger economy, and a healthier community for us all. But a 'No' vote will strand us without critical transit and transportation improvements - potentially for decades."
The chamber supports the Mayors' Council's transportation vision and has joined the Better Transit and Transportation Coalition, featuring a broad spectrum of stakeholders from business, labour, environmental and other community organizations.
"With the predicted growth of one million people in the Metro Vancouver area over the next 30 years, the mayors' vision not only addresses our current congestion issues, but future ones as well," Conway stated in the release. "It's vital that we invest in needed transit and transportation improvements for our region."
According to the chamber, under the Mayor's Council vision, New West will benefit from:
- The plan to build a new, safer Pattullo Bridge and other road improvements;
- Increased HandyDART services;
- Accessing more frequent transit services, which will make the regional economy more competitive by dramatically improving the movement of goods, services and people;
- Increasing the quality of life by cutting air-pollution and greenhouse gas emissions;
- Providing more accessible public transit options throughout Metro Vancouver, reducing traffic gridlock and reducing truck traffic in New Westminster.
"Like the whole Metro Vancouver region, New Westminster faces increasing challenges with congestion," Conway said. "The improvements (that) have been identified for our region are pivotal to a strong local economy and a liveable New Westminster.
"With so much at stake, our community stands at a crossroads," she noted. "Quite simply, we can't afford to get this wrong."
