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LETTER: North Van 'rat runners' keep us all from getting home on time

Dear editor: We need traffic management when accidents take place, holding up everyone trying to get onto the Ironworkers Second Narrows Crossing as was evident [Thursday, Nov. 7].
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Dear editor:

We need traffic management when accidents take place, holding up everyone trying to get onto the Ironworkers Second Narrows Crossing as was evident [Thursday, Nov. 7].

I spent time with a friend at the Andrews cafe on Eighth Street and Keith Road in North Vancouver this afternoon. I left at 4:15 p.m. to head east to my home in the Seymour area.

It took me two hours to get from Ridgeway to Queensbury along Keith Road - only a few blocks in distance. That was thanks to all the “rat runners” who weave their way through neighbourhoods from the Lonsdale and Grand Boulevard areas and Third and Main Street areas, driving along various arteries that spill onto Keith Road, thinking that they can get to the bridge quickly.

 Trouble is that they push in front of people like me trying to just get down Keith Road.

Frustrated and hungry at 6:30 p.m. I turned off and had dinner at the Boulevard Bistro (which was great, by the way).

I rejoined the traffic once again at 7:30 p.m., heading east on Keith. Traffic was still backed up and slow down Keith with rat runners again trying to cut onto Keith.

Why can't we have traffic control officers out there stopping the rat runners?

There are signs in some of those neighbourhoods, but drivers ignore them.

We can't go on like this. Please: Do something when these huge events take place and let people get home in a decent amount of time.

Carol-Anne Roberts
North Vancouver

Editor’s note: The City of North Vancouver is implementing a six-month pilot program to restrict access to Keith Road from specific streets and laneways in the Cloverley neighbourhood. Click here for details. 

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