Editor: As a 43-year resident of south Langley, I read the recent letter from Mr. B. Jones (the Times, Nov. 23) with interest and amazement.
As a regular commuter on 16th Avenue he is obviously part of the problem and has no desire to be part of the solution.
As long as he and his 99,999 other commuter friends can, on a weekly basis, get to their destination as quickly as they can, with the fewest interruptions, then who really cares about the residents that live on or south of 16th Avenue?
I’ve seen Mr. Jones travel the route on many occasions.
He is the 10th, 20th or 30th car in the parade of dump trucks, semi-trailers and automobiles who speed along, not allowing safe crossing.
Stop lights are okay in Surrey, where they are located at every intersection, or stop signs are okay in Abbotsford, where they are on every intersection, but in Langley, according to Mr. Jones, it is better to have a race track.
It is apparent that Mr. Jones has not been briefed on the recent studies done and report prepared on the short-term, medium-term and long-term plan for 16th Avenue.
The partner groups (TransLink, T.O.L., ICBC, M.O.T. etc.) were very clear that any upgrades will take time, up to 15 years.
Councillor Fox’s motion for stop lights is an interim solution and not the final answer, and that is clearly pointed out.
Mr. Jones may favour roundabouts and that is likely the best long-term solution but in the meantime I suppose he simply wants to continue his ‘race track’ mentality along 16th and forget about the inherent dangers of trying to cross the intersections, or access a driveway safely, or the lives lost along this corridor.
The report clearly states that roundabouts are the most expensive upgrade option. They will consume ALR lands and the property acquisition to put them in place is simply out of reach at this point in time, unless of course he wants to pay a substantial tax increase.
In the meantime, do as the other municipal jurisdictions to the west and east of us have done and give us a safe and unimpeded crossing option.
Stop lights are the most cost-effective and quickest way to do that.
Wayne Mortimore,
Langley
