On the issue of the Lougheed Highway, with respect to downtown Mission, this plan has no foresight or vision as turning First Avenue and North Railway Avenue into two-way lanes will be the death of that core due to congestion, no parking and safety concerns.
What is needed is a bypass created off the Lougheed prior Oliver Street which will pass over the tracks and run alongside the south of them until it meets up with the Highway 11 interchange at the bend south of the intersection with Cedar. On the east side where the two lanes end at Horne Street they need to continue across into Timberwood Avenue, over the tracks and back onto the Lougheed.
This will allow the downtown core to retain its one-way streets as well as move the commercial traffic away from the downtown core. It would also decrease commercial travel times through the core as well as make the streets safer. A 30 km/h speed limit could then be posted similar to the one-way at Langley.
Furthermore, it would allow the use of North Railway Avenue, specifically with the angled parking and sidewalk on the south side to hold such events as the farmers' market or perhaps night markets.
I see both North Railway and First avenues as being the vitality of the downtown core and to encourage growth by bringing in venues that would draw Mission residents, and tourists, which would be a boon to ensuring the downtown core remains a vibrant and healthy part of the district.
With help from the federal and provincial governments, I can see no reason why capital couldn’t be provided to put in place a throughway that would not only benefit the commercial trucking industry but ease off the pressure at the Cedar Connector and Lougheed intersection and allow the downtown core to focus on rebuilding as opposed to being a highway. It only makes sense to spend the money now rather than procrastinate and spend triple the money later, as eventually a bypass will be needed as the valley and traffic continues to grow.
Michael Nenn
Mission