Not much of a surprise, the week long poll on my website showed that 90% of you thought the Coast Meridian Overpass (CMO) had a final or fixed price of $132 million. The City of PoCo continues to insist they never said this was a fixed cost project but then how did 90% of us make this “mistake”? Further, your comments and emails show that you are – as I was – shocked to learn this figure will continue to go up.
While at a public meeting last evening I asked a number of City staff when the next increase to the CMO was coming. One person summed it up by saying “soon”. Yikes.
That public meeting had to do with the Shaughnessy Prairie Area Transportation Plan.  This looks to be an solid plan to get traffic moving in the area. Not just cars, but the plan includes improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and transit.
I encourage you to read the documents and attend these open houses. These meetings are a great chance for you to speak with knowledgeable staff, ask probing questions and get some one-on-one time with the local politicians. In my experience, citizens can influence the future of the City more during these types of gatherings than at stale and often time controlled Council meetings.
There are a variety of transportation choke points in the City. What are your biggest Port Coquitlam traffic nightmare points? Are these issues being addressed? I would love to have your input.
The worst choke point is the disaster area of Shaughnessy underpass/Shaughnessy Station. A few years ago it was bad during rush hour. Now it’s bad almost all the time. Shaughnessy Station mall contributes a lot of traffic and the adjacent high-rise (when it gets built) will add to that. Although there has been a new left filter traffic light dangling over Shaughnessy & Wilson for many weeks, it STILL isn’t activated. I hope the overpass will take away some of the through traffic from this area.
The others of course are at both ends of the Mary Hill Bypass, and our level crossings. What anachronisms they are! Visitors from Europe must guffaw when they see these, and they probably give themselves heart attacks when they see the speed of the trains! Given the railway’s vast, dominating presence in our town, you’d think they might feel a bit guilty about this. Obviously not. When a long, slow train is trundling over one of these crossings, one sees large numbers of U-turns, probably meaning some traffic is diverting to the Shaughnessy underpass.
I see something interesting online from the tricity news. I have met all candidates that I wanted to get to know from their campaign outings. I am hoping that Dave, you don’t post that latest article on this site because I have started to comment about it and will invite many others onto your site from both sides and we’ll find out the truth who is backing who behind closed doors. You may be named too if you post that article.
That replied from the poco resident with the latest news article regarding Greg Moore and Mike Bowen is bang on. I congratulate you, if you are reading this to stand up for the city and telling the mayoral candidates to lock themselves up and deal with their own personal issues. We do not need this kind of dirty politics anymore.
How many candidates are backing each other up these days in elections? Who cares, nothing is illega. Why don’t you, Mr. Moore come out clean and tell the public no one is riding your back or vice versa because my dad has been living in this city for as long as you and Mike and don’t make me name one or few that are looking out for you too.
It’s a dirty business and it’s time to clean it up or get out of my city. This goes out to all candidates.
Without prejudice.
I am voting for Bob Lee, West and you, Dave. However, things can changed pending on the next few days if any interesting things shows up like always when there’s an election. Hope not!
My dad told me that you have thanked Brad West for the negative postings about you on your site. He reads every word from all candidates websites and in his 70′s now. I suggest you give Brad a call and express your concern over the comment from Mr. Moore. This is not a game, it’s thanking each other is the right support.