Multi-use Path Proposal on Fletcher Street
The HUB Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Local Committee recently submitted its official feedback to the city of Maple Ridge’s development proposal for 15 townhouses on Fletcher Street. The proposal also calls for a multi-use path along that stretch, which our local committee felt was unnecessary.
To help contextualize the proposal for the multi-use path and our objection thereto, below is the area map of Fletcher Street and its surrounding major traffic routes.
Development proposal on Fletcher Street (City of Maple Ridge)
Fletcher Street runs north/south, and sits between 227th and 228th Streets (collector roads), both of which carry the through vehicular traffic. The street only runs one block from Dewdney Trunk to the south to 123rd Ave. to the north.
Fletcher is currently a quiet street with single family homes. Even with the addition of 15 townhouses as proposed, only local traffic is expected along this short stretch, and the street will likely remain quiet.
Fletcher Street (Google Maps)
As such, HUB agrees with the BC Active Transportation Design Guide, which states that a multi-use path would be considered appropriate if motor vehicle volumes are greater than 4,000 vehicles per day – highly unlikely for this stretch.
We also feel that cyclists would feel comfortable and safe enough biking on the street with such low vehicle traffic. A sidewalk built for pedestrians would further eliminate potential conflicts between pedestrians and people on bikes, while allowing those who are less confident, such as young children, to ride on the sidewalks.
Further, our local committee strongly feels that priorities should be placed on building protected bike lanes on 227th Street one block to the west of Fletcher Street, a major north-south arterial with heavy through traffic.
A proposal for protected bike lanes along 227th Street had been tabled by the city’s Engineering Department back in 2017. The proposal was endorsed by our local committee and the feedback from the public was for the large part favourable, according to city engineers. The proposal seems to have been shelved since the election of the current council, however.
The official feedback to the city of Maple Ridge can be read here.
