Maple Ridge council has eased residents’ concerns about heavy traffic on Fern Crescent by requiring that a part of the busy road be straightened as a condition for building 34 new homes in the area.
That is a relief to Harvey Gigun, who was worried about traffic safety as residents accessed the new homes in the 24000-block of Fern Crescent.
The initial proposal would have had residents getting to new homes by using Fern Crescent, at a point where there’s a horseshoe bend in the road. That could have created dangerous driving conditions as newcomers file on to the busy road that leads to Golden Ears Provincial Park, one of the busiest parks in the province.
Under the plan, approved Tuesday, 128th Avenue will be extended eastward, with the developer paying a third of the cost. The extension of 128th Avenue will connect one side of horseshoe curve to the other, effectively removing a major curve on Fern Crescent.
“Myself and my neighbours are pleasantly surprised that some kind of consideration was made to make the road safer,” Gigun said.
It was disappointing, though, that neighbours had to be so involved in order to be heard, he added.
Coun. Bob Masse said the existing road conditions weren’t safe and the solution was the extension of 128th Avenue to remove the Fern Crescent curve.
“When you look at that overall, it becomes very clear how that’s going to work.”
Neighbours along the Fern Crescent curve get a quieter road because all the traffic to and from Golden Ears Provincial Park will follow the new, straighter portion of Fern Crescent/128th Avenue.
Signs have to be put so motorists know which way to go.
“We’ll have to make sure that it’s clear for the 600,000 or so visitors that go through,” to and from the park.
The development was approved and complies with the official community plan and the Silver Valley area plan, Mayor Ernie Daykin added.
“For the horseshoe loop it’s going to take a ton of traffic off that road.”