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Letter: Truck route objection fails to consider several facts

Editor: Re: “Real issue with interchange is health not commute times,” by Linda Nash (the Times, Dec. 15).
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Editor: Re: “Real issue with interchange is health not commute times,” by Linda Nash (the Times, Dec. 15).

Ms. Nash continues to bash a project which is currently underway in the Township of Langley. She comes from a group of residents that don’t want change in their own backyard.

Meanwhile, there are many schools in Langley on main routes that already see those large volumes of traffic that Ms. Nash cites will come her way.

Her area is not the only area that could have an increase in traffic.

There are heavier volumes already at Willoughby school on 208 Street and several schools on 200 Street.

The reason we had AirCare for more than 20 years was to reduce the pollution caused by vehicles. Obviously, the science has been assessed by many knowledgeable people to determine the success of the program.

We have cancelled the program because of its success in reducing vehicle pollution.It is the combined emissions of all vehicles that was the target of AirCare.

The large volumes of traffic she cites, which are in many areas of Langley now, show that adding more traffic routes such as the 216 Street overpass are needed to share the volume around and reduce the overall volumes on existing routes.

We live in Metro Vancouver — an area of large population. The more diverse routes for traffic there are, the less volume for each route.

Most truck traffic will choose to go to 200 Street off Highway 1 — a direct route to industrial north Langley. There is very little need to travel north on 216 Street to get to their destinations, except for delivery trucks to Walnut Grove, which provide essentialproducts for the residents in the area.

The health issues Ms. Nash cited are realities for people, unfortunately caused by many factors, not justincreased traffic volumes.

If the traffic volumes are a concern, people should consider moving away from Metro Vancouver

to areas with much less traffic.

J. Jansen,

Langley