Port Metro Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»is introducing a 90-day Truck Traffic Pilot Program Aug. 25 to deal with residents complaints about truck traffic on Nanaimo Street.
The pilot will only allow container trucks to use Major Road Network authorized routes in the citythe port says Nanaimo Street is not an authorized route.
Residents complained that trucks were increasingly using Nanaimo en route to the McGill/Commissioner Street entrance to the port.
Last year, the port rejigged its traffic patterns to produce somewhat of a one-way system with trucks coming in on Commissioner and getting out on Clark that allowed us to deal with any backup of trucks on port land on the port road as opposed to on city streets, according to Chris Badger, chief operating officer at Port Metro Vancouver.
So one of the things that came out of that was some of the trucks have, in the last few months, got the perception or belief that they can shave a couple minutes off their trip by going up Nanaimo, as opposed to going up the Main routes on Clark. What happened was a few of them started using it and a few more and thats when neighbours started to notice an increase of truck traffic on the road.
The Grandview-Woodland Area Council hosted a community meeting July 4 to find a solution. The meeting included, representatives from the port and the city.
Chris Badger, chief operating officer at Port Metro Vancouver, said the pilot program is designed to deal with concerns and can be tweaked during the 90-day trial to address further problems that arise.
The port is directing trucks travelling via the Knight Street corridor from Richmond/Delta to use the following Major Route Network to access the McGill/Commissioner Street entrance to the portClark Drive to Hastings Street; Hastings Street to Cassiar Street/Highway 1; Cassiar Street/Highway 1 to Bridgeway Street; Bridgeway Street to McGill Street. The city and the port will jointly monitor Nanaimo Street.
The city will carry out truck counts in mid-September to monitor the plans effectiveness. After the 90 days, the city and port will evaluate the outcome and decide if the changes will be made permanent.
The intent [was] we find something that works and we think this is going to work. And if it works successfully, then at some point the city would then turn that into a bylaw and make it part of their regulations, Badger said.
Eileen Mosca, a director of the Grandview-Woodland Area Council and a member of ACTORSAdvocating for Container Traffic Off Residential Streets, said she believes some residents are not satisfied with the city and ports response, but the vast majority shes heard from think its a workable solution to deal with the traffic problem on Nanaimo.
What is clear is that both the port and the city have acknowledged that residents complaints about the large volume of container trucks on Nanaimo, the speed at which they are travelling and their observed inability to consistently stop for red lights at pedestrian crossings are valid, she wrote in an email to the Courier. Residents demanded a solution that would ensure that children would be safe crossing Nanaimo when they return to school in September and the pilot project resolves that immediate concern.
Mosca added that residents were also assured by deputy city manager that reopening the port entry off Clark Drive is still under consideration, but for now theyre hopeful the pilot project will have immediate positive results.
NPA municipal election candidates Joe Carangi and Dave Pasin arent satisfied concerns have been addressed.
They call the plan flawed and inadequate in a press release they issued July 27.
The city has the tools to enforce traffic bylaws and laws and the port has the option of using the Clark Street entrance for container traffic, however the plan announced yesterday left this option off the table, Carangi said.
They pair maintain the 90-day trial will return the traffic congestion and idling problems to Clark and Hastings.
Twitter: @Naoibh
