Dear Editor:
Anyone who drives on the Upper Levels after 2:30 p.m. on weekdays is well aware of the traffic nightmare that we all live in. It can often take more than 30 minutes, and most often, more than 60 minutes, just to get from one part of the North Shore to another.
Although the Lower Lynn improvement project that our previous government approved will help separate highway and local traffic, the challenge still remains of how to get people to and from the North Shore.
So how do we solve the North Shore’s traffic woes while also involving non-North Shore residents?
Well, one solution, among others, would be to get people out of their cars. The new Marine-Main B-Line stretching from Park Royal to Phibbs Exchange will help connect east-west quicker. However, one of the main issues that has been exacerbated by the housing crisis is the daily influx of non-North Shore residents to our community for work.
My proposal of extending SkyTrain to the North Shore envisions connecting the North Shore to rail rapid transit via the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge to the Millennium Line. This would give rapid access options for commuters.
Of course, such a SkyTrain extension to the North Shore is likely many years away, which means effective interim measures are necessary, which is why in March of this year I began advocating for a B-Line from Joyce-Collingwood Station to Capilano University.
I’m pleased to see that in the Mayors’ Council 10-year plan, there are two other North Shore connected B-Lines proposed: one from Metrotown SkyTrain Station to Capilano University, and one from Lynn Valley Centre to Downtown Vancouver.
Both of these will help alleviate traffic choke points that exist today, which is why I am asking Translink to ensure that the Metrotown-Capilano University B-Line is included in Phase 2.
This would put a new B-Line on the North Shore in every phase of the project and show North Shore residents that TransLink is committed to alleviating their traffic issues.
Having a “rapid transit” system connecting the North Shore to Burnaby and the Expo and Millennium lines will greatly improve the options for people travelling to and from the North Shore to their houses or work on either side of the bridge.
Jane Thornthwaite, MLA
North Vancouver-Seymour
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