Dear Editor:
Re: New West loses the Bailey bridge battle, The Record, July 4.
New Westminster Coun. Bill Harper says that Coquitlam has “destroyed the relationship” between the two communities by winning an arbitration over the Bailey bridge. This is the second time Coquitlam has had to take legal action in about a decade and the second time Coquitlam has won.
New Westminster needs to start working with its neighbours on transportation solutions that are regional. Imagine if every community put up barriers so traffic had to go around their city. If there is one community that isn’t playing well with its neighbours, it’s New Westminster.
The arbitrator ruled in favour of a two-lane bridge, instead of the ridiculous one-lane Bailey bridge that has allowed alternating traffic for the past 20 years. Harper called that decision “a complete disaster.” Coun. Harper, the earthquake in Haiti was a disaster. Last year’s $8-billion flood in Calgary was a disaster. A two-lane bridge connecting two truck routes? That’s not a disaster, it’s a no-brainer.
Thank you, Coquitlam, for advocating for workable regional transportation.
Teri Towner, Coquitlam
