Editor:
An open letter to the mayor of New Westminster:
I am writing today to provide some details of noise frustration in my neighbourhood.
Over the past year and a half I have been forced to work from home due to the COVID crisis. What I have discovered is the amount of noise and congestion on Princess Street has become increasingly disturbing and very stressful.
The noise from the delivery trucks, their back-up beeping, honking, loud motorcycles and drivers of cars revving their motors to the point you cannot hear your television or speak on a headset.
Now I am sure if this was your street, the issues would be resolved immediately, so I trust you will understand the stress this noise has created for my family and others I have spoken with in my building.
I have contacted the New Westminster city, had a call and some follow-up emails but the situation has become increasingly worse. Now I understand the delivery trucks need to deliver, but if a sign could be posted, like in other communities: "Please reduce your engine brake noise as this is a residential area" this would be a step forward. Perhaps the delivery times could be restricted to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., as I understand at the present time the trucks can deliver up to 10 p.m. at night. However, we have documented trucks arriving as early as 3:15 a.m. and as late as 11 p.m.
The trucks keep honking at one another to get out of the way, like truck rage, and the constant cars honking at the trucks who block the road. Quite often, due to road space, our building driveway is blocked by large semi-trucks waiting for bay docking space.
Princess Street used to be a great place to live, after 10 years, it has changed and the noise has become unreasonable.
Ruth Wang, New Westminster
