A South Langley resident, unhappy with Township council’s “extreme solution” to block traffic entering High Point estates from 0 Avenue, offered a few suggestions on Monday.
Shawneen Hartmann said that modifications which might include speed humps, would not only reduce the speed of vehicles but spread traffic out over the South Langley area around 200 Street.
Earlier this month, council supported a staff recommendation to eliminate an intersection at 0 Avenue and 200 Street. It had been in the plans, but was not built in order to deter construction vehicles from entering High Point from 0 Avenue.
The staff recommendation came after 48 people signed a petition objecting to the intersection.
That troubled Hartmann and other residents who said that blocking 200 Street access at 0 Avenue filters more traffic on a small number of streets, creating more conflict between pedestrians, equestrians and vehicles.
Last week, Dave Belliveau, who lives in the 20400 block of 4 Avenue, questioned the usefulness of the petition when some owners may not necessarily live at High Point, and many lots remain vacant.
Hartmann, who lives at 317 - 208 St., said many residents were “choked” by council’s ruling.
High Point is an equestrian-themed estate with multi-million dollar homes, but not all properties are large enough for horses.
Hartmann noted that almost all the estate’s roads are cul de sacs or dead-end roads.
Mayor Rick Green said he was concerned about horse trails that dissect the road through High Point, and people using the twisting road through it “as a slalom course.”
“I’m concerned that we will end up with a real serious accident, and not just one,” Green said.
After Green commented on the Township being inundated with traffic calming requests, Hartmann replied: “Enforcement. Do what you have to do.”
She added: “The reality is that we are going to have to find a way to co-exist. Closing the road is not co-existing. We have to find a compromise that does not eliminate traffic (from 0 Avenue and 200 Street).”
Asked by Councillor Kim Richter what she thought about more public consultation on the issue, Hartmann replied, “Perfect.”
She said that residents were not aware of the pending closure until they read about it in the paper.
Richter’s proposal for an open house will be discussed by council at its April 11 meeting.