SPARROW (Independent): Depending on the time-of-day traffic can cause a lot of frustration and delays in our day to day lives. Our community is growing and so has the cars on the road. As our road infrastructure comes to completion in our expanding urban areas, traffic will have a more complete flow and many of the bottlenecks will diminish. Moving people from their cars to transit, bikes and providing housing options which allow for walkable communities is more of a holistic approach to addressing the increasing number of vehicles on the roads. But as discussed in my response Question 10, the large rural geographical make up of our community makes seeing the vast majority of our residents able to leave their cars at home much more difficult.

Research points to a connection of the increase in traffic congestion to an increase in road collisions. We have a responsibility to not only look to address traffic congestion but to in tantum look as well to road safety. We must be focused on building a community that is safe and one we all want to live in and spend time in rather than just drive through on our way to another destination.

WHITMARSH: (Independent) Traffic is a concern over many parts of the Township. With growth we have seen increased traffic in areas such as Willoughby, along Fraser Hwy between Murrayville and Aldergrove, along Glover Road, the 16th Avenue Corridor. In addition, we will see increased traffic in Brookswood/Fernridge as the neighborhood plans come to final approval in the next term of Council. Widening of roads, where possible, will help to alleviate some traffic challenges and we should ensure that major intersections are designed for maximum traffic flow including proper sidewalks, crosswalks, and designated left and right turning lanes. We need to work closely with the provincial government on roads under their jurisdiction.

WOODWARD (Contract with Langley): Fixing the embarrassment that is 208th Street and the other major roads and sidewalks is a top priority for our team. We will also finish Fraser Highway from Murrayville to Aldergrove. Residents and taxpayers deserve basic infrastructure to get around. Kids deserve sidewalks and bike lanes to get to school. For this to get done, we will the Contract With Langley team that puts residents and taxpayers first.

COLEMAN (Elevate Langley): That is correct, traffic congestion is increasing in many areas of the Township. Since 2001, there are over 40,000 more people living in the Township of Langley. AND there is an increase in people travelling through the Township as well.

Each traffic bottleneck has its own solution. On 208^th for example it is well past time for the Township to allocate funds and upgrade the older 2-lane sections. Waiting until the neighbouring properties develop and then completing the roadway is creating congestion that we don’t need.

The associated costs could then be recovered by charging developers ‘latecomer fees’ when the properties develop. Elevate Langley will take action on this immediately upon becoming elected.

It is also well past time to sit down with the Ministry of  Transportation and Highways to implement interim solutions that improve traffic flow around the 264^th highway exchange.

There is a long-term plan in place for this interchange, but we can’t wait. The current situation is unacceptable to residents. This will be of the first calls Elevate Langely makes.

Sixteenth Avenue is another roadway that needs immediate solutions.It needs more turning lanes and stacking lanes on while we look for a longer-term solution.

We need to continue to invest in and improve the Fraser Highway. This will have to be in consultation with the communities along the route. Particularly Aldergrove where the highway is central to the community’s downtown.

GARDNER (Independent): Our perceived road crisis is largely a result of poor urban planning and lack of transportation planning. Objectively, this is of greatest concern anywhere injuries and fatalities are the highest; however, the hidden things we lack, like robust and accessible transit, or complete communities, are major contributors to the overall frustration. Local government must overturn the apathy and welcome new leadership with a fresh and informed approach to transportation and planning.

ELEVATE LANGLEY (Group Response): That is correct, traffic congestion is increasing in many areas of the Township. Since 2001, there are over 40,000 more people living in the Township of Langley. AND there is an increase in people travelling through the Township as well.

Each traffic bottleneck has its own solution. On 208^th for example it is well past time for the Township to allocate funds and upgrade the older 2-lane sections. Waiting until the neighbouring properties develop and then completing the roadway is creating congestion that we don’t need.

The associated costs could then be recovered by charging developers ‘latecomer fees’ when the properties develop. Elevate Langley will take action on this immediately upon becoming elected.

It is also well past time to sit down with the Ministry of  Transportation and Highways to implement interim solutions that improve traffic flow around the 264^th highway exchange.

There is a long-term plan in place for this interchange, but we can’t wait. The current situation is unacceptable to residents. This will be of the first calls Elevate Langely makes.

Sixteenth Avenue is another roadway that needs immediate solutions.It needs more turning lanes and stacking lanes on while we look for a longer-term solution.

We need to continue to invest in and improve the Fraser Highway. This will have to be in consultation with the communities along the route. Particularly Aldergrove where the highway is central to the community’s downtown.

WARD (Independent): Traffic congestion continues to impact Langley residents at a seemingly exponential rate. The highest volume of traffic is clearly on the arterial roads such as 200th Street between 62nd Avenue and 68th. Additionally we see significant volume on Fraser Highway between Murrayville and Aldergrove at peak times as well as all over Willoughby particularly from the Willowbrook Connector and 64th Avenue all the way up 208th Street to Walnut Grove. Obviously encouraging cycling and walking helps to remove vehicles from the road. Public bus routes can help reduce traffic volume. Additionally, employing contemporary design in new construction that relies on walkability and accessibility helps to reduce a community’s reliance on vehicle transportation. I am open to hearing from stakeholders and subject matter experts on this issue as well as others to consider more options to this issue which confronts us all.

ARNASON (Independent): Willoughby. There are a number of congested areas in the Township of Langley based on the piecemeal approach to the historical development of the roadway infrastructure that has developed in the Township. A number of Willoughby neighbourhoods demonstrate the lack of planning and budgeting foresight with respect to focusing on the completion of the roads and sidewalks prior to the introduction of residents and increased traffic into a neighbourhood. This decision-making has resulted in a number of problems regarding public safety, walkability, and a generalized sense of frustration from the public regarding travel times and undue delays related to incomplete roadway infrastructure. In order to address the issue, one of the measures that could be undertaken is specific borrowing based on the public’s willingness to approve of an amortized debt repayment strategy for the purpose of completing strategic sections of roadway in a more timely basis. Another approach is the development of a special levy such as in the City of Surrey which devotes an annual fee to specific roadway infrastructure. A supplementary policy that could be be considered is the negotiated turn over of statutory rights of ways by landowners to the Township to ease the cost burden of acquiring property adjacent to development for roadway infrastructure requirements and sidewalks. If re-elected, I would explore all of these options in order to complete the roadway infrastructure in Willoughby in order to satisfy safety, efficiency, and congestion concerns.

CHANG (Independent): One of the most common complaints regarding traffic in Langley township is 208 Street. As I see it, the problem lies in the policy of the municipality to have each developer responsible for the section of the road at their development. Some other municipalities do things differently. For example, in Saskatoon, the city builds the roads in a new development area prior to the start of construction. If the township wants to recoup the cost, this could be done afterwards. At least with this plan, the roads are completed and uniform during the entire project. yes, there is an upfront cost, but citizens do not have to suffer through years of construction with ridiculously poor roads to navigate.

PRATT (Independent): As we have grown, traffic has become a major issue for residents across the community, but especially in North Langley where we have rapidly increased density without completing our transportation network. This is the place we need to start: making sure that people have options on how they get around, so that everyone is not forced to drive on two streets (200th and 208th), and that they have a choice in not only which road they take to get to their destination, but also by which method. Simply widening roads will not ease traffic congestion: this has been proven time and time again. We need to expand the network, and we need to encourage people where possible to use alternative methods of transportation. These are well within the control of the local government, as long as we have a Council that is ready and willing to encourage Staff to adopt a more visionary way of planning, as well as work more proactively with other levels of government to get the funding we desperately need to complete vital projects, such as rapid-transit on 200th Street, 208th Street, and Fraser Highway.

MORAES (Independent): It always comes back to 208th….even I avoid that area during rush hours. An extra lane to reverse during rush hours would help but not eliminate that issue.

CONTRACT WITH LANGLEY (Group Response): Fixing the embarrassment that is 208th Street and the other major roads and sidewalks is a top priority for our team. We will also finish Fraser Highway from Murrayville to Aldergrove. Residents and taxpayers deserve basic infrastructure to get around. Kids deserve sidewalks and bike lanes to get to school. For this to get done, we will the Contract With Langley team that puts residents and taxpayers first.

RESPONDEK (Independent): Traffic is an issue throughout the entire lower mainland. The main problems are the chokepoints (highway entrances) as an example. If you build a five lane bridge that exits and enters into 2 lanes you are always going to have a problem. If there are too many arterial roads all trying to get to the same area and that area cannot accommodate that inflow then it won’t matter what we do locally.

I have seen a lot of poorly-conceived road infrastructure within the communities that are huge safety concerns and increase the potential for accidents as well as damage to property. One thing I would like to see is a study to see if a smart camera system (at controlled intersections/intersections with lights) would be beneficial in moving traffic throughout our city.

RICHTER (Independent): Infrastructure needs to come before development.

Township has a policy that developers need to pay for infrastructure and that works fine assuming development occurs in an orderly progression from North to South as an example, and sticks to the approved Neighbourhood Plan in terms of population density and configuration.

Unfortunately, Township (especially in the case of Willoughby) allowed development to occur anywhere and everywhere instead of in an orderly progression from one logical/directional area to the next, and regularly allows amendments to the plan densities and configurations. This has created the unnecessary “patchwork” problems that Willoughby now lives with on a daily basis. Willoughby was supposed to progress from the South to the North but this never happened.

Also unfortunately, it appears that we are going to re-create the same problems that Willoughby now lives with when we open Brookswood for development with 3 major new Neighbourhood Plans coming for approval at the same time.

One would think the Township would have, and should have, learned from past mistakes, at least enough not to repeat them.

I fear for Brookswood going forward.

TOWNSLEY (Independent): Traffic complaints are greatest in areas that are throughfares. Planning to reduce routes that act as shortcuts through neighbourhoods and speed control where it can’t be avoided.

I would like to see more planning to ensure that vehicle transportation is the mode of last resort. I am a fan of “ring roads” that push truck traffic between Surrey and Abbotsford around our community without dividing the neighbourhoods within it.

SUARÉZ RUBIO (Independent): 208, 56, 200 and Fraser highway have the most density of traffic here in Langley. I am looking forward to bring changes that will allow for less traffic and less carbon emissions to help the environment. For instance, encountering families to use one car instead of two is a great way to do this, and it can be accomplished by giving families property tax breaks and incentives accordingly to their cooperation towards the initiative of council to promote a clean environment and a more green community.

POITRAS (Independent): Traffic is a common complaint heard in many neighborhoods through out the township as our population reaches 150K. Congestion and lagging infrastructure are driving these complaints. 208th, 16th Ave, Fraser Highway to Aldergrove to the 264 high interchange the issues are increasing. We should be finishing 208th and having the late development contribute their share in after development fees; and we need to be working with the province to look at the urgent need to update 264th at the highway now.

DARNELL (Independent): Traffic has been a major concern since the automobile was invented. As we develop areas such as 200 and 208, we need to frontload the upgrades and improvements to our traffic networks so that the impact will not be as severe during and after constructions. Backloading traffic infrastructure has been a major problem.

JOEHL (Independent): Traffic congestion is a sensitive issue because time is money and time spent away from our families costs us more than just fuel in our vehicles. Having said that, the greatest critics of the roads in our community often don’t have a viable solution to it. Simply adding more lanes will not necessarily solve the problems because of induced demand – More lanes will bring more vehicles and we’ll be back to square one, but millions of dollars in the negative. My best suggestion is that turning lanes be utilized to their highest potential, though I don’t feel this is necessarily a council role to oversee every single intersection in the city.

VAN POPTA (Contract with Langley): We need to finish incomplete roads in developed areas. Period. We need sidewalks completed going to schools, we need proper bike lanes completed to get people out of their cars. If people don’t “feel” safe, they will drive.

KUNST (Independent): We are seeing traffic in all areas of the TOL. Especially as people leave for work and school. 16th Ave, 32 Ave, 208 st, Fraser Hwy.

We need to improve our transit options especially along these busy corridors. Improve active transportation by building a cycling network and greenways for commuting and recreational needs. With safer roads and sidewalks, parents may be more willing to let their children walk or bike to school instead of driving in cars thereby reducing the congestion at these critical times.