Dear Editor:
Gridlock is evident on the North Shore. It is a combination of too many cars and trucks traveling to and from the North Shore every day with only a limited number of lanes handling the flow.
Wait until we add all of our transit buses onto the bridge coming from Burnaby to serve transit passengers in North Vancouver. During an accident tie-up I suspect that your readers better start walking to the SeaBus in order to leave North Vancouver, or get on a West Vancouver Blue Bus and travel to Park Royal for Vancouver bound. (I am sure that Norgate homeowners would now have preferred to see the buses located there rather than a stinky sewage plant!)
We must start looking at all types of solutions, because if we don’t, traffic conditions will just keep getting worse.
When we drive on the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, we see many huge dump trucks and semi-trailers that head to the Port of Vancouver — both south to the Vancouver terminal and into the North Vancouver sites. They deliver goods to the port that are exported to all parts of the world and the goods that are imported are distributed to many parts of North America, many of which are transported via semi-trailer trucks using the highways, bridges and road infrastructures.
People should also drive on Boundary Road to see all the trucks heading to north and south port locations.
I am sure the heavy-rig truck drivers must be frustrated with the huge delays they face, and not just once in a while, it is every single day.
Why don’t we try something unique to this region and have those bulk and industrial goods delivered in off-peak times such as before the morning and after the afternoon rush hours, as well as at night when there is no significant traffic on the roads? It would take discipline and government requirements to force heavy trucks to deliver in off-peak times.
The ports, including global container terminals, operate 24 hours a day and accept trains into and out of their terminal. Pay attention to the siren sounds that we hear at night that signal when the trains are entering or departing the terminal. If we can get the big rigs to do the same, our traffic gridlock may be eased somewhat.
Let’s convince our local governments to adopt new traffic measures and have a local bus depot, perhaps located at the Capilano University site, rather than being situated in Burnaby where it will simply add to the impossible gridlock.
It probably won’t happen or be considered until after next May’s provincial election, but we must do something to alleviate gridlock.
Robert Pellatt
North Vancouver
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