Stewardson Way
Several issues have been raised in this election campaign. While all candidates meetings are useful to see the candidates in action, there really is not enough time to discuss the issues fully. So I intend to address some of the key ones in a series of blog posts/videos. In this blog post it will be Transportation.
Problem Statement
New Westminster is fortunate to be centrally located in the Lower Mainland. However a disadvantage is that most of the traffic, and the corresponding pollution, is as a result of through-traffic. As the cities around us grow, so does the traffic through New Westminster.
Of course, our own City is growing too, and an undesirable by-product is that our own traffic is increasing. However, much of the current traffic congestion in our city is caused by temporary road works or construction projects.
Discussion
The City has worked on transportation for quite some time and a new transportation strategy document is in the works. Some candidates may suggest that nothing is being done, but these things take time – there is a process in place as shown below.
As such there is no final “solution” for transportation because our society is built around transportation. One needs to discuss the issues surrounding transportation at global, regional, city and personal levels.
If one could work, live and play in the same place, then there would be no need for transportation. But at this point this is not realistic. So one needs to work with the best technology currently available and explore new technology that will minimize the detrimental effects of pollution, noise, expense, delays and so on.
Regional Level
As a City we cannot directly influence transportation issues at global level, although our staff do stay abreast of developments at this level. Our focus firstly is on the regional level. It is a big problem that could get worse if the Port Mann and Patullo bridges are expanded.
The through-traffic is a regional issue and is being discussed on an on-going basis by the Province and Translink. The key is to be present at the table when regional transportation issues are discussed. It is vital to keep in mind that our traffic issues are not all that much different from those of the other jurisdictions in the region. They are also grappling with the complex issues of transportation. They are also fully aware of the effect that their decisions could have on New Westminster.
So we continually make our case as clearly and fairly as possible. We collaborate to find equitable solutions. If not, solutions that are not favorable to New Westminster might simply be imposed on us.
City Level
Much is being done at the City level. This is described more fully in the appropriate section of the city website so please have a look. This includes better public transport, and infrastructure to encourage walking and cycling and reducing the need to use private transport.
Personal Level
At a personal level we can do a lot by walking, using public transport and minimizing the use of private transport. It sounds easy but it is not. The City’s strategy is to enable individuals as much as possible by providing shopping and other amenities close to where we live, and to back that up with an ongoing education program.
Conclusion
We have been addressing transportation and traffic congestion, as described in the City website. Our approach can be summarized as
1) Continue to negotiate with other jurisdictions to minimize the detrimental effect of their transportation on New Westminster.
2) Lobby for funding from provincial/federal government to assist us to build infrastructure to mitigate the effect of through-traffic.
3) Encourage developments that would reduce the need for using private transport, and to provide better public transport that becomes viable with higher population density.
