October 09, 2013

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PIER PARK WINS DOWNTOWN AWARD

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TWO vIEWS ON ThE PATTullO

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RAllY CAllS FOR ABORIGINAl INQuIRY

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WEDNESDAY

OctOber 9 2013 www.newwestnewsleader.com

Tests of the new transit farecard system uncovered a lot of bugs, which Translink says will be ironed out when the new system is launched over the coming months. See Page A17

Ban trucks on Royal, Pattullo: City Grant Granger

ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com

MArIO bArteL/NeWSLeADer

A Burnaby Devils forward loses the ball as she’s checked by New Westminster defender Kristin Hackett in their Pacific Coast Field Lacrosse League U-19 game, Saturday at the Burnaby lake Sports Complex West.

Could the Quay rail operations move? Suggestion ‘not logical’ says Puchmayr who says city needs to seek real solutions Grant Granger

ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com

Last Thursday’s town hall on railrelated issues raised the tantalizing possibility for some people that the rail operations could be one day moved to a Port Coquitlam sorting yard. “It’s just five kilometres away,” said Brian Allen, chair of the

Quayside Community Board’s rail with the space that is not next to noise committee, in an interview residential development, he believes following the event at the Inn at the it’s worth considering. Quay, organized by Burnaby“In this day and age, New Westminster MP Peter especially in light of Lac Julian and attended by more Mégantic, he have to give that than 50 people. thought,” Allen said. “Apparently the yard can But Coun. Chuck handle all the traffic—so why Puchmayr, a co-chair of the not move it there?” PuchMAyr city’s railway citizen advisory Allen said under the committee, said it doesn’t Railway Relocation Act, the federal make logistical or jurisdictional transportation minister has the sense to move the sorting to the power to move train operations, Canadian Pacific yards in an and when you’ve got another yard industrial area of PoCo even though

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noise would not be a factor there. Puchmayr said most of the goods being sorted at Southern Rail’s New Westminster yard don’t belong to CP. In addition it would be inefficient because a high percentage of the goods, which originate from Queensborough and Annacis Island, would have to return to New Westminster because they are destined for markets south of the Fraser River and would need to use the railway crossing that runs parallel to the Pattullo Bridge.

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Truck traffic in New Westminster has increased significantly in the past year because drivers are using the Pattullo Bridge to avoid tolls on the Port Mann Bridge, according to a city report. The numbers have city council calling on the province and TransLink, which is responsible for the Pattullo, to take several measures to improve the situation. Council has called for a ban on heavy trucks on the Pattullo Bridge. Council also want trucks prohibited entirely from Royal Avenue. They are currently permitted during daytime hours. In addition, council is asking the province to reduce the $9 toll truckers must pay for taking the Port Mann to encourage truck drivers to use it instead of the Pattullo. The report noted during September to November 2012, before the Port Mann tolls were introduced, approximately 570 heavy trucks used Royal Avenue daily. But between June and August this year that jumped to 930 a day. Please see POSItIve, A3


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