The Editor,
Re. "Keep Fremont connector away from Cedar Dr., residents say" (The Tri-City News, Jan. 30).
There can be only one plausible conclusion after viewing the city of Port Coquitlam's Fremont and Cedar Drive route study: All of the proposed routes primarily benefit home owners in Coquitlam's massive Burke Mountain development zone while diminishing PoCo residents' quality of life and the environment.
The proposed routes are of little benefit to PoCo residents travelling north-west but were obviously drafted to provide Burke Mountain residents a secondary access to Lougheed Highway and the Mary Hill Bypass. There are no PoCo development plans in this area that would spur the need for these roads.
PoCo residents have already bucked up to service Coquitlam's Burke Mountain development project by expanding Coast Meridian Road, building the overpass and rebuilding Broadway.
We paid for this expansion while Coquitlam residents are the primary beneficiaries. We've done our part and we've gotten little for it.
Don't expect us to subsidize Coquitlam again by paving over our agricultural lands, destroying wildlife habitat and increasing vehicle traffic and air pollution in our neighbourhoods.
I have a simple message for PoCo council: Demonstrate that you are serving your residents first and defeat this proposal. We're tired of being the cash cow for unfettered Coquitlam expansionism on our doorstep.
Chris Bradshaw,
Port Coquitlam
