Maple Ridge wants to fix the gaps in its sidewalk system, starting with treacherous 232nd Street, by making area residents offers they may or may not refuse.
Staff told council Monday that a temporary sidewalk could be put on the on the west side of the road, between 132nd Avenue and Silver Valley Road, for about $265,000. That would involve installing concrete barriers, building a two-metre-wide gravel foot path and an equestrian path beside it. As a result, people and animals would be protected along that one-kilometre stretch just as they are on 240th Street in Albion.
Also, if residents want to give up a bit of the frontage of their lots to the district, a proper rebuild of the road could take place, involving curbs and gutters, sidewalks and street lights. Cost for that would be about $3 million.
The risk to that approach, though, would be that later digging up, repaving and reconstruction would be required as development takes place and new roads are built to connect with 232nd Street.
Engineer Dave Pollock told council that approach will serve as a test for about another 10 similar fill-in type projects totalling $1.1 million, earmarked for Silver Valley and Albion, as a means of filling in the spaces that have been created by a patchwork of new housing projects.
Council, though, decided to present residents with a complete rebuild of 232nd Street as the first option. Then, if residents don’t want to donate their frontage, the district can proceed with the temporary sidewalk.
“I’m really glad we’re at this point. It’s long over due,” said Coun. Cheryl Ashlie.
Coun. Michael Morden didn’t want to waste money by building a sidewalk that would be torn up later. At some point, the new multi-use path on Abernethy Way, east of 224th Street, will be dug up to make way for four-laning of that road, he pointed out.
The district’s priority is four-laning 128th Avenue, from 210th to 224th streets, said public works manager Frank Quinn.
The other sidewalk projects in Silver Valley have been identified on 236th Street and 132nd Avenue, Balsam Street and Fern Crescent, just east of 232nd Street.
In Albion, 240th Street near 112th Avenue could get sidewalks of some kind, as well as 112th Avenue, east of 240th Street.
Jackson Road and 104th Avenue and 102nd Avenue, west of Jackson Road also have sidewalks planned.
• Maple Ridge has already completed several projects on its to-do list: sidewalks have been done on 232nd Street near Maple Ridge Park, while 122nd and 124th avenues near Laity Street have new sidewalks for a few four blocks; Abernethy Way also has new sidewalks between 224th and 232nd streets, and pedestrian lights on 224th and 240th streets.