Make new Downtown civic centre more pedestrian friendly: NWEP
By Grant Granger - New Westminster News Leader
Plans for New Westminster’s Downtown civic centre need to be tweaked, says Matthew Laird, vice-president of New Westminster Environmental Partners (NWEP).
While calling the project at Eighth Street and Columbia “great for the revitalization of Downtown,” he sees some plans that need to be fine tuned to improve walkability, livability and be environmentally sustainable.
Laird praised city plans to widen sidewalks and introduce coffee shops and outdoor patios to Eighth to give it more of a European flavour. But the proposal also calls for a parkade entrance next to an outdoor patio. That would mean patrons will not only be mixing espresso with exhaust, it will also be a safety hazard sitting right next to moving vehicles.
“The parkade entrance takes away that Granville Mall feel,” said Laird.
He also criticized plans to eliminate a mid-block crosswalk on Eighth to create a turning bay for the Plaza 88 loading dock across the street from the civic centre. Pedestrians, he said, will always seek the shortest route and those coming out of the SkyTrain station to go to the civic centre would likely jaywalk if the current controlled crossing is removed.
“We fought hard for that crosswalk,” said Laird. “It’s going to be a hard habit for pedestrians to break.”
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