Delta is continuing to work with Metro Vancouver to address the on-going issues with parking, increased traffic and safety in Boundary Bay.
At a special meeting of council on June 2, Delta council approved proceeding with a residential permit parking pilot program within the Boundary Bay neighbourhood as well as intersection improvements at 3 Avenue and Centennial Parkway.
Mayor George Harvie said Delta has received a fair amount of feedback.
“I have tried to respond to all the phone calls and the emails…people understand the necessity on the weekends during the summer, but residents were quite concerned that as residents of Delta they should be able to enjoy that beach and park and take kayaks down,” he said. “I appreciate that and understand that, so that’s why we put this out as a trial, but we don’t want to go through the trial without recognizing that this is a valid concern of people who don’t live in that community to be able to enjoy the beach during the week.”
Harvie said on Monday, a report will be going to council which will amend the parking pilot program to weekends and holidays only.
“As someone who has lived there for 45 years, it is not a problem during the week, it is a problem during those July, August summer weekends, so we want to amend this so the restrictions on parking would be on weekends and long weekends,” said Harvie.
Harvie and city manager Sean McGill also held a virtual meeting with Metro Vancouver officials last week to further discuss options.
“We had a very good, frank discussion,” said Harvie. “The lease for that property does state that they [Metro] are responsible to ensure that the surrounding neighbourhood is not subjected to a nuisance and of course this is just not a nuisance it has reached the point that on busy, hot, usually weekend days it has become a public safety issue. The streets are getting jammed and we can’t even get ambulances, police or fire vehicles in to attend a call for help.”
Harvie added that there has also been talk from Metro about a proposed pay parking system, however, that is something Delta is not in favour of.
“We do not support pay parking, but we have proposed a reservation system for 50 per cent of the parking, much like BC Ferries,” said Harvie. “Metro was very receptive to that. They are working with our staff to implement that as soon as possible. Things are moving forward to ensure that the overcrowding and the public safety issues that is causes in the Boundary Bay area of our community.”
