LETTER: Maple Ridge’s waterfront buy will mean parking and safety problems

Dear Editor,

Re: [Waterfront project overdue, The News, Nov. 3]

I mostly agree with Hari Pal’s vision for the 4.3 acres of waterfront property that the city of Maple Ridge recently purchased.

However, Pal didn’t mention anything about parking, and safety concerns. If people want to visit the new park, where are they supposed to park? I am worried the new 4.3 acre park will become a parking lot.

However, what is the alternative? The alternative is the parking lot at the Haney Wharf; however, that is too small. If people can’t find parking they may clog city streets, which isn’t fair to the people who live there.

So, the city should post “residents only” parking signs along 224th Street and 225th Street south of Lougheed Highway. Finally, Maple Ridge bylaw officers should patrol the prior streets, as there is no sense in posting “residents only” signs unless they are enforced.

I am worried about access to the new park, because people and vehicles must cross CP Railway’s tracks. The commuter trains use CP Railway’s tracks Monday to Friday. CP Railway most of the time, run long and slow trains across the Haney Wharf railway crossing. Sometimes CP Railway’s trains have been known to stop at the Haney Wharf crossing. I know this for a fact because a few years ago I got stuck on the Haney Wharf because the long CP Railway train stopped at the Haney Wharf crossing. I wasn’t the only person stuck on the Haney Wharf, I had company, two relatively young people were stuck as well. They did the unimaginable and unthinkable because they decided to crawl between the CP Railway cars. They could’ve been killed.

I had my cellphone with me, so I called CP Railway’s emergency number. However, that took some time because I didn’t know the phone number. I had to do some phoning around until I found CP Railway’s emergency phone number, which is as follows: 1-800-716-9132.

CP Railway’s emergency phone line is open 24 hours a day. CP Railway thanked me for calling in the problem with one of their trains. They told me they were working on the problem, and I would have to wait until they got the train moving. I waited. I had to wait about an hour before I was able to safely cross the tracks at the Haney Wharf.

I am afraid the prior scenario will happen again. I am also pleading with CP Railway and the city of Maple Ridge to post CP Railway’s emergency number on the Haney Wharf. So, when any train stops on the Haney Wharf crossing, people can phone CP Railway to report the problem rather than crawl between the railway cars, and risk getting crushed to death.

Linda Meyer, Maple Ridge

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