CITY BUYS INTO AGE OF ELECTRIC
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HAPPY TO PAY MORE FOR BETTER SCHOOLS
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FIVE YEAR CARBON TAX FREEZE
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FRIDAY
APRIL 5 2013
Comedian Bob Robertson is a featured guest at next weekend’s LitFest New West. See Page A4
www.newwestnewsleader.com
New billboard alights on McBride But is it safe? Mario Bartel
photo@newwestnewsleader.com
MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
Andrew Feltham of the New Westminster branch of HUB would like to see improved safety for cyclists using the bike lane along Marine Way that links the Queensborough Bridge to the Big Bend industrial area. He’s submitted his proposal to the ministry of transportation and Burnaby city hall.
Seeking a safer ride to the river Would provide easier route between New West and South Vancouver Wanda Chow
wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
A local cycling advocacy group is calling for the missing link to be built to complete a safe bike route between New Westminster and through Burnaby to South Vancouver. Andrew Feltham, chair of the New Westminster branch of HUB (formerly the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition), wrote
to Transportation Minister Mary Polak about the proposal, which was prompted by an exploratory ride last fall by cyclists from HUB. The proposed route would run from the Queensborough Bridge ramp that connects with the south side of Marine Way/Stewardson Way. From there, a widened shoulder separated from traffic by cement barriers could be built along Marine Way, allowing for two-way bicycle traffic. The path would end at the bottom of the hill, at the edge of the fence of the Southern Railway yards,
where a crossing would be built over a ditch connecting the path to the end of Trapp Avenue south of Marine Way. From there, cyclists and pedestrians could head to a multi-use path at Meadow Avenue which takes them to existing trails at Fraser Foreshore Park, along the new River District under construction in Vancouver, through the industrial area along Kent Avenue and even to Richmond over the Canada-Line SkyTrain bridge, which includes a bike path. Feltham said in an interview that
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judging by the dirt path across the ditch and beside the railway yard fence, it is already well used as an unofficial route. While there is a crosswalk further west on Marine Way at North Fraser Way, getting there from the bridge means cycling on Marine Way “which many people wouldn’t even consider doing that, it’s very busy traffic-wise and high-speed traffic,” he said. “This option separates you from traffic and takes you down to some very pleasant and attractive cycling areas.” Please see CITY, PROVINCE, A5
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The first of four giant digital billboards that will be erected around New Westminster is now lighting the way for motorists heading to and from the Pattullo Bridge along McBride Boulevard. And while the signs are expected to generate approximately $2 million a year in revenue for the city, they could be a headache for commuters already wrestling with traffic congestion and other distractions, said Karon Trenaman of the ICBC road safety program. “There are so many things that can interfere with your attention,” said Trenaman. “Billboards would be one of many types of distractions.” A study released in February by University of Alberta researchers Michelle Chan and Anthony Singhal found the language used on a billboard can provoke an emotional reaction that affects driving. Using a driving simulator the researchers discovered positive words on a billboard could cause motorists to speed up, while they tended to slow down and drift when viewing negative language. Please see DRIVERS, A3