Politics are playing a big part in the current debate between Port Moody-Coquitlam NDP candidate Joe Trasolini and Liberal transportation minister Blair Lekstrom. Trasolini believes the province should step in and help TransLink get on with the Murray-Clarke connector project while Lekstrom takes a hands-off approach. According to Lekstrom, TransLink needs to get on a solid financial footing before new priorities can be set, including the long-awaited connector in Port Moody.
The two are tangling over the issue because a by-election is on the horizon.
But some people are wondering whether the connector has had its day and it's wrong to put a freeway next to the waterfront. Port Moody council has long demanded the connector but is now willing to sit down with TransLink and discuss other options.
Does PoMo still need a connector? Perhaps there other ways to improve traffic flow without building more freeways and separating Port Moody from its waterfront.
