I’ve driven the South Fraser Perimeter Road, the heavy truck bypass from Surrey into Delta many times, most recently the beginning of June. This is a $1.26 billion, 44-kilometre long, four-lane expressway with an 80-kilometre-an-hour speed limit.
My observation over several trips is that most traffic is travelling at 90 to 100 kilometres an hour, save for a couple of lower speed zones in congested areas. Interestingly there are three or more traffic lights at intersections along this heavily travelled route.
It would be educational to compare the Perimeter Road to Highway 97 at Stickle Road. What for instance is the traffic volume on each route? What number of accidents have occurred at the controlled intersections on the Perimeter Road?
One assumes the $1.26 billion cost of the Perimeter Road included plenty of intersection studies which might bear a useful relationship to the Stickle Road issue. Has any comparison been performed and, if so, what was the outcome? Traffic lights are obviously acceptable on the Perimeter Road, so why is the Ministry of Transportation refusing to consider a traffic light for Stickle Road?
If an 80 km/h speed limit is functional for a major Lower Mainland expressway, why not an 80 km/h speed limit at Stickle Road?
These are all sensible questions which, if answered honestly, may assist in breaking the expensive and quite silly impasses about an issue that won’t go away, and most definitely requires a solution. Very soon, one would hope.
Michael Tindall
Coldstream