The City of Maple Ridge’s plan to expand 124 Avenue to 240 Street is in for a rough ride from residents of the street.
They are rallying in opposition, some upset that widening the route to four lanes means losing their front yards and driveways, and that the new road will be much closer to their front doors. Even those whose houses are set back from the pavement fret about big trucks and other traffic speeding down what is now a quiet rural road.
Joy Shen has been told by the city that she will have to sacrifice her parking, hedge, and half of her front yard for the project.
She asked about compensation, but was shocked to be told her property line was much farther than she expected from the edge of the pavement.
A city representative remarked Shen is fortunate Maple Ridge hasn’t charged her rent for her yard being in the right-of-way.
Many of her neighbours on the north side of 124th are losing significant yard space.
Just down the road, longtime resident Josine Eikelenboom, well known for hosting Maple Ridge Music Society events at her Westacres farm, owns a smaller rental residence near the road. The front yard is being mostly eliminated, and the widened road will pass within metres of the front door.
Eikelenboom argues the route could be further south, where there isn’t a house, to give her residence a little more space – take a little from each side, she suggested.
She would like to see the road meander, rather than go straight, so it could slow traffic.
“There’s no consideration for 100-year-old trees,” said Eikelenboom. “Abernethy is full of curves and bends.”
”Four lanes is absolutely unnecessary,” she added. “They have no respect for way of life.”
Shen is upset the city will not have a meeting with area residents, despite her requests.
“This is changing our lifestyle, and there’s no public meeting,” said Shen.
Diane Spiers is most concerned with those lifestyle impacts – more traffic and noise, and less wildlife and nature. So is her son Rory, who loves the area, and bought the house next door to the one he grew up in. The road will encroach southward toward their houses, taking out rows of trees, but they are most concerned with the loss of quality of life. She said the area sits in a wildlife corridor that sees deer, bear, bobcats and many other species cross the road frequently.
“I’ve lived here 40 years, and this is a game changer for us,” said Rory. “I get that change has to happen, but there should be some consideration of what Maple Ridge is.”
“The truck traffic that’s on Abernethy now will be on our street,” said Diane. “There are no stoplights – you can imagine what the speed will be.”
They would like a meeting so they can talk about issues such as roundabouts, speed limits, and even keeping it a two-lane road.
“They (city hall officials) want to deal with people individually,” speculated Diane.
Carolyn Moore’s house is set back from the street, but she dreads losing the mature trees along the front of her property.
“It’s going to be devastating,” she said.
Moore has farmland with a hay field in back, and said moving farming equipment to her property on a busy thoroughfare is going to be an issue for her and others.
Neighbour Jenny has started a petition with more than 220 signatures on the website change.org called “Stop the 124th Avenue Expansion.”
“Our family-oriented residential neighborhoods are facing a critical threat – the proposed expansion of 124 Avenue into a major traffic corridor,” it says. “As residents who cherish the safety, livability, and unique character of our community, we are deeply concerned about the significant and long-lasting negative impacts this project will have on our lives.”
Jenny lives on a nearby cul de sac, and the only way out is on 124 Avenue. She has children, and there are many in the neighbourhood.
“And I’m picturing people doing 100 down this street,” she said.
City hall said council approved the alignment for the extension of Abernethy Way following technical analysis, environmental review, and earlier community engagement. The route was selected because it provides the strongest east-west connection, improves traffic flow across the city, and reduces impacts to farmland and environmentally sensitive areas. It also requires less overall land acquisition than other options, and is considered the safest.
The city is working one-on-one with property owners through the detailed design and property acquisition process. The new road is kept within the existing road allowance where possible, to minimize impacts, said the city.
A public information meeting is planned later this year to share the detailed design, answer questions, and provide an opportunity for residents to learn more.
Abernethy Way is intended to serve as a primary east-west route, helping relieve congestion on Lougheed Highway and Dewdney Trunk Road, improving emergency response times, supporting access to future employment lands, and accommodating continued growth, said the city.