Dear Editor:
Re: Highway 1 No Longer Making the Cut, July 5 news story.
I could not keep from chuckling to myself after reading the article and observing the picture of (District of North Vancouver) Mayor Richard Walton on the front page.
Firstly, Mayor Walton is staring down (on) one of the major causes to the traffic problem on Upper Levels and it is not mentioned in the article.
Looking at the picture it can be seen that traffic is merging into the second lane from the third lane just prior to the Lonsdale entrance ramp. This is slowing down speed. Just out of the picture in the far distance is the Lonsdale entrance ramp eastbound where traffic again must merge. Herein lies one of the biggest problems. We have three lanes merging into one slow-moving lane.
It does not take a highly qualified traffic engineer to see this.
Common sense prevails.
My suggestion: Close off permanently the third lane between Westview and Lonsdale as it is a storage lane and does not go anywhere. Then regulate the Lonsdale entrance ramp traffic flow as has been done in other countries with large traffic volumes entering a freeway. This will allow for a higher speed through the area.
Secondly, another problematic location is the entrance lane for traffic from Main Street to Second Narrows bridge — everyone knows this.
I suggest that three-axle, four-axle, five-axle and so on commercial vehicles and heavy trucks be banned on this entrance in peak hours — say 3-6:30 p.m. weekdays.
Reason: These vehicles are travelling less than half of the posted speed as they negotiate the grade up and over the Second Narrows bridge and hence are blocking the free flow of transit and other vehicles capable of travelling at the posted speed.
To implement these changes would be a small cost compared to constructing expensive interchanges with land acquisition issues.
Other common sense modifications could also be made.
Hence my chuckles.
It is a common sense approach and based on international good practice and driver observation.
No need for expensive consultants.
Graham Fary, retired consulting civil engineer (highways and roads)
North Vancouver
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