Dear mayor and council,
When will the so-called “temporary experiment” of the Alberta Street diverter be complete? Even before the ill-advised Alberta Street diverter, the traffic counts clearly showed that the Keary Street situation was far worse than Alberta Street. The traffic volumes on Keary Street were 40 per cent higher than Alberta Street prior to the diverter being installed. Since the installation of the diverter, counts were taken showing that the volume of traffic on Keary Street is now well over 100 per cent more than Alberta Street.
During many intervals throughout the day the traffic counts on Keary Street are near TRIPLE that of Alberta Street. That is well in excess of 5,000 more vehicles per week on Keary Street vs Alberta Street since the diverter was installed. Since the installation of the diverter, Keary Street residents have suffered the noise, nuisance and danger of more than 120,000 more vehicles than Alberta Street residents. Considering the danger aspect, the May/June counts also showed that Keary Street had 535 dangerous speeders (vehicles travelling more than 10 km/hr over the speed limit) in one week while Alberta Street had only 10 in an entire week. That is more than 50 times more dangerous speeders in one week. This does not even take into account the fact that Keary Street has a 30km/hr school zone which does not exist on Alberta Street. If the school zone were properly monitored the total number of dangerous speeders (vehicles exceeding the speed limit by at least 10 km/hr) on Keary Street would be well over 1,500 per week. That is 150 TIMES more dangerous speeders than Alberta Street. Many of those dangerously speeding through the school zone are exceeding the speed limit by 20 to 30 km/hr and even more. Keep in mind this is through a school zone.
The traffic counts and speeds show resoundingly that the situation you have created on Keary Street is far worse and exponentially more dangerous than on Alberta Street. I have spent plenty of my own time on Alberta Street comparing the speeds, traffic and noise there to Keary Street. The difference is literally like night and day. Keary Street is ridiculously worse than Alberta Street in all respects. I would urge any of you to take the time to go watch and listen for yourself on both streets Monday to Friday during business hours. In my email dated May 11, 2015 I asked you to explain: “Why you have chosen to specifically sacrifice the safety of school children and peaceful home lives of Keary Street residents? We need to understand the thought process that allows you to ignore the data and facts and come to the decision to ignore a far more serious problem on Keary Street to satisfy Alberta Street residents.”
Not one of you replied to my question of May 11, 2015. I will assume that is because you had no logical or justifiable answer to the question. When will you remedy the dangerous and unlivable conditions you have created on Keary Street?
David Hughes, New Westminster
