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LETTERS: Traffic nightmare

Editor: With ever-increasing traffic, Thrift Avenue has become a nightmare for White Rock residents.
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Editor:

With ever-increasing traffic, Thrift Avenue – a 100 per cent residential street west of Johnston Road – has become a nightmare for White Rock residents, both with the noise and danger.

Many of the drivers, including buses, continually ignore the speed limit. Buses struggle to even turn onto Thrift from Johnston and quickly hit speeds of 50-70 km/h 18 hours a day!

I have asked TransLink, with no response, why approximately 130 buses a day – one every 15 minutes going east and west – continue to be routed via Johnston/Thrift/Oxford St.

Tracking the buses over the last month, the ridership shockingly is below seven per cent, with the exception of one hour in the morning and afternoon, when most buses are half-full!

With construction in central White Rock now a fact of life for the next 10 years, could the time be now to reroute the buses back onto North Bluff (16 Avenue)? The area can still be served by bus C53 to White Rock Centre terminal.

The traffic issue also brings up the questions, is there a street plan for central White Rock amidst the soon to be built towers? Has the access of the fire department to the area really been planned and the required supply of water issue been addressed? Has a traffic count been undertaken on Thrift and also Johnston recently?

Adding to the nightmare on Thrift with the buses are the dumpsters from the demolition zones and the up to six or more fire engines with sirens blaring – perhaps a necessity but some control of the traffic lights possibly could reduce the siren noise – and let’s not forget the skateboarders usually between 10 p.m. and midnight.

Thrift Avenue – as do many other White Rock roads – badly requires major resurfacing and leveling and consideration given to posting safe speeds for traffic, perhaps 20 km/h.

Of course, if council is really serious about our city planning, why not widen the sidewalks and reduce the lane width on Thrift from Johnston to Oxford Street?

H.P. Rose, White Rock