Sept. 28, 2010 The revitalization of Maillardville’s commercial district along Brunette Avenue has been, over the past five years, the subject of much discussion and effort by Coquitlam’s Mayor and Council, city staff and various stakeholders. Finally seeing new life and growth in this 100 year old community is a dream cherished by many. The Gateway Project, due to be completed in 2013, is now putting that dream in jeopardy.
A little background: For reasons too numerous to mention, Maillardville’s fortunes have been in decline since the seventies. In spite of no fewer than three separate efforts to bring renewal to our beleaguered community, Maillardville remains a neighbourhood that falls well short of its potential. The vision of our neighbourhood becoming an exciting and vibrant gateway to Coquitlam as well as a historical and living centre for Francophone culture remains elusive. The most recent effort at revitalization relies heavily on the earlier concept for Maillardville that capitalizes on its French culture and seeks to establish a "franco-european" shopping experience. The notable difference is the addition of higher residential density for the commercial district to support a truly vibrant downtown core. With that in mind, Council in 2008 passed a new Official Community Plan for the Village Centre that includes allowance for a half dozen high-rise towers. The introduction of high residential density is not limited to the Maillardville area. City council has also approved a plan for the old Fraser Mills site that anticipates no fewer than 3700 new residential units, commercial space and a hoped for post secondary facility. Great plans, but there are challenges, not the least of which is traffic congestion in the area.
Those who travel regularly by car or bus along Brunette Avenue, through the Bermuda triangle that is the intersection of Brunette, Lougheed and Blue Mountain and on to the freeway interchange will know that it takes very little to upset the delicate balance of traffic flow that results in horrendous snarl ups. If you are among the environmentally aware and want to walk or cycle across the interchange to get to the Braid Street Skytrain Station, well, you are doing nothing short of putting your life in extreme peril.
Enter the Gateway Project. The vision for the project is to smooth traffic flow, allow drivers to get to specific destinations efficiently and to expedite commercial traffic. For Maillardville, the significant components include the construction a new Port Mann Bridge, the reconstruction of the Brunette interchange, the construction of the King Edward Overpass and the completion of the North Fraser Perimeter Road along United Boulevard through to New Westminster.
Where is it all going? Here is a brief synopsis. The construction of the new bridge is in progress and expected to be completed by 2013. Ditto the King Edward Overpass, from Lougheed Highway to United Blvd., which should be opened by the end of 2011. Along with that project, King Edward Avenue itself is being widened to four lanes from Lougheed to Brunette. So far so good. The other two above mentioned components are not quite as clear cut. Let’s take them one at a time.
Brunette interchange: Over the course of the past four years the Gateway project has been shaped and considerable public consultation has taken place. By 2008, the plan called for a revamped interchange that was to address all of the present concerns, including the streamlining of traffic, the elimination of one of the most accident prone areas in Metro Vancouver and the creation of a safe pedestrian and cycle corridor from Maillardville to the Braid Street Skytrain station. What has not been made quite so public is the more recent decision to scrap the original plan as "unworkable". Concerned that upgrading the interchange before the traffic bottleneck at Brunette and Braid is resolved would be a waste of monetary resources, the decision makers have chosen to maintain (more or less) the status quo, meaning no structural upgrades to this crucial area! Yes, that is correct. Aside from some "tweeking" of the queing lane for trafffic from the Port Mann Bridge and exiting at Brunette to go to New Westminster, and a new traffic control at the west end of the interchange to regulate east bound traffic exiting to Maillardville, no further upgrades are planned. The area, which is already inadequate to handle existing traffic loads heading to New Westminster from the bridge and any point east of our community will not be upgraded along with the rest of the Gateway project. No structural changes of the exit or on ramps to deal with existing (and more importantly future) traffic loads into New Westminster and no safe walkway for pedestrians from Maillardville to the Braid Street Skytrain Station.
North Perimeter Road: Designed to provide an artery from Maple Ridge to Annacis Island, a significant portion of this road runs along United Boulevard, over an existing (inadequate) bailey bridge and through New Westminster. What is not known by many of us rank and file citizens is that the Gateway project is responsible for the North Perimeter Road only up to King Edward Avenue. Work west of that falls under the authority of Translink. The part of the project under Gateway is rapidly coming to completion. Needless to say, Translink and the City of New Westminster have not been quite as efficient in their planning or execution. As of this writing, it is unknown what Translink will build, or when, to complete the North Fraser Perimeter Road. What is clear is that the portion of the road that is under the Gateway project, including the King Edward Overpass will be completed shortly. As increased traffic makes its way west along United Blvd. where will it go when it reaches the functional dead end at King Edward? You do the math.
Recent developments: It has recently come to light that there is some incentive for Translink to complete at least a portion of the North Fraser Perimeter Road. A substantial federal grant is available for the work under condition that it be completed by 2013. To that end, a plan to replace the bailey bridge with a new four lane version and the construction of a "flyover" road from United Blvd. onto Brunette Avenue west of Braid Street is being considered. The results and recommendations of this study have not yet been made public. But is there anyone out there who can express confidence that Translink is capable of making this project happen in a timely fashion that will benefit our community? That body, which is already facing considerable funding challenges with the Evergreen Line, will have need to find new sources of revenue to complete their portion of the Perimeter Road.
What does this all mean for Maillardville? At several local meetings in 2010, staff from Coquitlam's transport division have indicated that if little is done to redesign the Brunette interchange and complete the North Fraser Perimeter Road by the time the new Port Mann Bridge opens in 2013, there will likely be serious negative impacts along Brunette Avenue through Maillardville. Further, if the North Fraser Perimeter Road is partially completed with a new bridge and the "flyover", traffic congestion in Maillardville will be somewhat, but not wholly alleviated. Full relief will only come with a revamped Brunette Interchange that is at present anticipated for "sometime in the future".
In addition, it was recently announced that a new Patullo Bridge is in our future, construction to begin around 2012. That will likely put additional pressure on the Port Mann and Brunette interchange as commuters try to find alternate routes to get from Surrey to New Westminster.
Development of the Fraser Mills lands is already underway and will ultimately bring some 10,000 new residents to the area. It is also everyone’s desire to see the Maillardville area revitalized. This renewal is largely based upon creating a high density residential zone along Brunette. Given all of the above information, how can the plan for Maillardville revitalization be responsibly carried out? The short answer is, it cannot.
Over the past few years, much effort has gone in to creating a truly livable neighbourhood in Maillardville. Not so long ago, one might have revealed with a little shame that one lived in, ahem, Maillardville. Today, many of us are proud to claim that we live here. Yet there is at present, a real danger that the work already accomplished in this unique quarter of Coquitlam will be overwhelmed and lost because of the shortsightedness of governments at all levels and the apathy of its citizens. The next few months may finally reveal all of the pieces of the puzzle and what the consequences for Maillardville will be. Will there be enough understanding and resolve by local government, businesses and residents to bring pressure upon the relevant authorities and demand a solution that will protect our neighbourhood?
