December 12, 2007
The city's campaign to explain the urgent need for the twice-delayed Murray Clarke Connector paid off. The campaign included a Council demonstration to expose what would happen if the project was delayed again .
At its December 12, 2007 meeting, TransLink's outgoing Board of Directors approved the allocation of up to $50 million for the design and construction of the much-needed Murray-Clarke Connector.
Motivated by the urgency of the outgoing TransLink Board's last meeting, two dozen people appeared to speak in support of the project to Board Directors assembled at Richmond City Hall.
After the positive vote, Mayor Joe Trasolini said: "As a Director on TransLink's Board, I have supported many regional initiatives for years. It was time for Port Moody and the Northeast sector to receive support for a long overdue four-lane overpass."
The TransLink Board voted unanimously in favour of funding the Murray-Clarke Connector. Echoing Port Moody's plea for common sense to prevail, the Board dismissed the TransLink staff suggestion that perhaps a two-lane overpass might suffice as a replacement for the old two-lane overpass. The idea of a new two-lane overpass is now dead.
“This project has been on the drawing board as far back as 1983,” said Port Moody mayor Joe Trasolini. “We’ve been promised this many times and four lanes were already justified in the 1980's. We were not prepared to hear no or to be offered a half-baked solution.”
The delegations included residents and elected officials from Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Belcarra and Port Moody. They included residents and business owners. The TransLink Board heard a variety of arguments from experts lined up by Port Moody to represent the views of industry owners, realtors, urban planners, developers and emergency response agencies.
The Murray-Clarke Connector will be a major route that will serve the entire region, beyond the Tri-Cities. Constructing a four lane connector was already justified in 1983 based on a report by the Ministry of Transportation and Highways.
“This was a crucial step in having TransLink fulfill its promise to complete the connector,” said Mayor Trasolini. “We now have to move quickly and retain a design firm to complete the detailed engineering of the overpass and road work. This is no longer time for more studies. We now have a clear mandate to take action.”
Background information on the Murray-Clarke connector
