A group of Richmond residents were concerned by more than just speeding at a city-hosted forum on Wednesday evening.
At Hamilton Community Centre, City of Richmond staff had poster boards of renderings of potential solutions to stop motorists from speeding along Westminster Highway in Hamilton, while answering questions and taking feedback from residents on their road-related concerns.
Lloyd Bie, director of transportation with the city, said regular complaints about speeding were made to the city and is looking for ways to both reduce the current speed limit of 50km/h in the area and to “introduce other traffic calming measures.”
“There’s been a number of people complaining about speeders largely on Westminster Highway and we’re having discussions about this in council,” said Bie.
“Major speed zones that were highlighted to us were near Gilley and Westminster Highway, playground areas and Cranberry Children’s Centre.”
However, residents were more concerned about the increasing number of commercial trucks that have been driving through the neighbourhood.
Jason Li, a long-time Hamilton resident, does not deny speeding is a problem, but commercial trucks driving through the neighbourhood in addition to the speeding have “created more problems like potholes and deteriorating road conditions” on Westminster Highway.
“You would hear the bangs of the trucks when they hit those potholes and damage the roads even more with the speed they are coming through the area,” said Li.
“Commercial trucks have the option to take Highway 91A through Queensborough to get to where they need to go and we just don’t see why they need to go through the neighbourhood.”
Trucks doing U-turns
Another resident voiced seeing commercial trucks making a U-turn on Westminster Highway near the Hamilton Senior Care Centre.
Bie explained that Westminster Highway is a major roadway in the network that connects New Westminster and Richmond, but TransLink also works with the city to maintain the road.
“We can restrict the…trucks, but it means we need to tell TransLink to take Westminster Highway out of the major road network,” said Bie, adding maintenance funding would come out of the city’s regular budget without the help of TransLink.
However, it would “still be a council decision.”
Residents suggested having more enforcement by Richmond RCMP and Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement for speed checks in the area would make it safer, rather than “just changing the speed limit.”
The City of Richmond is encouraging all Hamilton residents to complete an online survey with all their concerns and once feedback is compiled, it will be shared through Let’s Talk Richmond.
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