The Editor,
Re. "605 signatures versus 2 votes" (Letters, The Tri-City News, July 29).
Having lived in Port Coquitlam and as a Coast Meridian Road resident for 32 years, I think the two councillors who sit on the city's transportation and safety operations committee who voted not to permit the relaxation of the full-time parking prohibition should stand on Coast Meridian Highway and see what the reality is.
The elimination of parking on Coast Meridian was done without any consultation with the residents affected. There is a sign in the 3900-block of Coast Meridian that says "Residential Area. Avoid Using Engine Brakes. Excessive Noise Prohibited." What we see, hear and feel on a daily basis are the dump trucks, the long flatbed trucks, cement trucks, regular vehicles, etc., come barrelling down at speeds of 80 km/h and faster. You can't open your front windows because of the noise, the house shakes and rattles because of the trucks and I would not be surprised to see cracks in foundations and driveways of homes.
The speeds of these vehicles coming down Coast Meridian are excessive. Where is law enforcement? It is a safety hazard and drivers will not learn anything unless it affects their wallet. What will slow these drivers down is to allow parking back on Coast Meridian. If not full- time parking, at least consider allowing parking from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Having a full-time parking prohibition on Coast Meridian does not benefit PoCo residents. It does benefit Coquitlam residents. Did Coquitlam pay for any widening of our road? Did Coquitlam pay for any portion of the over-budget Coast Meridian Overpass? Did residents of Coast Meridian get any offers of compensation from city hall in regards to lower water/sewer and property taxes? No. All we got was no consultation, excessive noise pollution, excessive speeding, lower house values and a severely diminished quality of life.
The two councillors were not named in Terry Thompson's letter to the editor. I would like to know who they were. Municipal elections are coming up. To all PoCo residents, I encourage everyone to speak out.
Fay Wright, Port Coquitlam
