Editor:
Traffic chaos has become the new normal on a sunny weekend in Boundary Bay.
Bumper-to-bumper lines of cars snaking through the streets are the now predictable, reoccurring nightmare for the residents. Once the parking lots at Centennial Beach are full, the excess thousands of people in their cars are directed to continue down Boundary Bay Road and into Boundary Bay.
There is very limited parking in Boundary Bay, no sidewalks, no facilities such as washrooms, etc. Few, if any, of those people driving into Boundary Bay actually want to be there, so why is it happening?
In a nutshell, Metro Vancouver is not allowing this excess traffic into the park so drivers can turn around and then exit northbound onto Boundary Bay Road. Once denied entry to the park, the traffic has little choice but to continue into the Boundary Bay residential area.
Metro Vancouver is the operator of the park and is contractually responsible for the management of traffic issues stemming from park users. Metro needs to immediately establish a traffic circulation system within the park itself; a small roundabout near Cammidge House would allow drivers to safely do a 180 and then exit the park when lots are full.
Right now Metro is simply dumping the problem it’s created onto local residents. More road signs will not help. Making 50 per cent of parking spots “bookable” won’t help. Only a new traffic management system will.
Peter Malim
