Changes are coming to the Lougheed/Barnet Highway corridor in northeast Coquitlam to accommodate the new B-Line rapid bus service to Maple Ridge.
TransLink is proposing a new intersection between Pinetree Way and Johnson Street that would give westbound buses a signalized left turn to the Coquitlam Central Station transit exchange. It would also provide a right-in/right-out for transit vehicles heading east.
“Changes to the municipal street network and traffic signal operations are needed to reduce bus delays, and provide fast and reliable service,” said a city staff report.
A new intersection is not the only proposed change.
TransLink, in conjunction with the city, is also looking at creating an eastbound bus-only lane east of Pinetree Way, which would be accommodated by widening the road by one lane to the south. The additional lane would run to the Port Coquitlam border.
According to TransLink, the new B-Line rapid bus would reduce travel times to and from Maple Ridge from the current one-hour trip to 37 minutes. Rapid bus service manager Daniel Freeman told council in July the reduced trip time would make transit more viable for people living east of the Tri-Cities.
“That means it starts becoming more competitive with driving,” he said during a council-in-committee meeting. “People will have a better option for their journey.”
But not everyone at the council table was happy with TransLink’s plans.
Coun. Brent Asmundson, a Coast Mountain Bus Co. driver, said he was concerned with road improvements further east, noting the main bottleneck is at the bridge over the Coquitlam River. He added that the work done in Coquitlam should be part of a second phase once issues are resolved on the Port Coquitlam side of the boundary.
“The first phase should be what is going to be done in Port Coquitlam,” he said, “then we can work on our end of it.”
Asmundson said he was also concerned with the narrowing lane widths that would be needed to accommodate the dedicated bus lane, noting many big trucks move through the area.
Coun. Craig Hodge said he has issues with the increase in eastbound traffic that could be created by the installation of a dedicated bus-only left-hand turn signal between Pinetree and Johnson. He said it is too early to be discussing road changes in the corridor given that council is currently working on its City Centre neighbourhood plan.
“To start making major traffic changes and intersection changes at a time when we are still trying to see what the Town Centre is going to look like, we are premature,” he said.
Despite the concerns raised by the two councillors, the B-Line rapid bus service expansion will be moving ahead and is scheduled to begin next fall. Some infrastructure improvements, like the new left-turn intersection, are expected to be operational by 2020.
@gmckennaTC
