City to host public forums on Gateway impact

By Dan Hilborn
Published June 28, 2006


Burnaby city council will be giving the public an opportunity this fall to speak up and ask questions about the controversial $3- billion Gateway highway infrastructure plan.

Coun. Nick Volkow has called on city staff to organize two public meetings for September - one each in north and south Burnaby - to discuss plans to twin the Port Mann Bridge and widen Highway 1 through Burnaby.

"There is a lot of confusion on the issue, and disgruntled residents don't feel they've been given the opportunity to ask questions," said Volkow, who chairs the city's traffic and transportation and traffic safety committees.

While the exact meeting dates have not been set, Volkow indicated that the main themes of the meeting will be the direct impact of the proposals on Burnaby streets.

According to a planning department report approved by city council on Monday night, the Gateway plan is expected to increase traffic by more than 10 per cent on more than a dozen Burnaby roads.

Those affected roads include portions of: Gilmore Avenue, Sanderson Way, Willingdon Avenue, Canada Way, Wayburne Street, Sprott Street, Norland Avenue, Kensington Avenue, Broadway, Burris Street, Bainbridge Avenue, Government Street and Gaglardi Way.

The meeting is expected to discuss a 13-point rebuttal to the Gateway project also approved by council this week.

That report recommends that if the province does proceed with the Port Mann/Highway 1 proposal, that it include:

* no increase in general purpose lanes on the bridge or highway, and that all new lanes be dedicated to transit, high-occupancy vehicles and/or commercial vehicles.

* using tolls to manage congestion and shape transportation demand;

* that Transportation Demand Management measures (tolls) operate in perpetuity, not just for the time needed to pay for the project;

* that the province pay for any municipal road upgrades that are needed as a result of the Gateway project;

* that ease of access and egress to and from commercial and industrial areas be maintained or enhanced;

* avoid any increased intrusion of through traffic in residential areas;

* bike lanes in both directions on all freeway crossings, plus urban trails as outlined in Burnaby's official community plan to be funded by the project;

* that cycling and pedestrian lanes use be provided on the Port Mann Bridge;

* that the stated $50 million budget for cycling facilities be the lower limit of this investment;

* that the project redress negative environmental impacts of noise, habitat, water quality, and water table changes arising from the earlier six-laning of the freeway as well as any new impacts from the current project;

* that impacts on Burnaby watercourses as a result of the project be mitigated; and

* that capital funding for the Evergreen rapid transit line be consistent with earlier agreements for the original SkyTrain Expansion Cost Sharing Agreement.