Hiker says BC Hydro’s new plan will force people to park in front of residents’ homes.
The editor:
Re: BC Hydro wants to stop the crazy traffic problems on Lake Buntzen (May 4, 2022)
There is legitimate outrage in the Tri-Cities tourist community about BC Hydro’s announcement that it is imposing time restrictions on car parks in the recreation area of Lake Buntzen.
No one should dispute that the people of Anmore deserve relief from the traffic jams they suffered during the 2021 beach season. But Hydro’s traffic management plan is lazy and heavy. And his announced plan to impose access only in the morning or afternoon to the parking lot is very misleading because it does not recognize the negative impact on tourists.
Monthly, most of the visitors to Buntzen are tourists. There are certainly a large number of visitors to the beach in the summer. But even in July and August, people from three cities and the entire Vancouver subway head to Buntzen to enjoy some of the best tourism on the lower continent. By Hydro’s own admission, many of the popular trails available from Buntzen take most of the day to complete – and that’s if you’re fast, extremely engaged and experienced. Trails like Dilly Dally, a historic route created by the tireless Halvor Lunden five decades ago, is an all-day trek – and it’s really only practical for most people in the summer after the snow recedes from the mountain. Now Dili Dali and many other trails will be inaccessible due to the time-limited parking in Buntzen.
This week, when news of parking changes was announced, even some Anmore residents expressed concern about the availability of trails that they casually enjoy for a few hours of walking or dog walking. Residents of Port Moody and Coquitlam on top of Eagle Ridge need to prepare for a significant increase in traffic in front of their homes, as tourists pushed by Buntzen are looking for alternative access to the eastern paths of Buntzen.
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Hydro’s press release is the lack of indication that the public was consulted before the alleged “plan” was announced. Perhaps, if the public had been involved from the beginning, Hydro could have avoided the well-deserved adverse publicity.
Here are some suggestions that Hydro should consider if you are really interested in all the people who use the park. Open the gates of Buntzen at 7 am, not 8 am from mid-June until Labor Day. In this way, early birds can enter the recreation area instead of blocking the alleys of Anmore residents trying to get to work in the morning. Also, consider expanding the equestrian car park, which is separate from the main parking area, and keep it exclusively for use by equestrian athletes and day tourists.
Finally, perhaps Port Moody-Coquitlam MLA Rick Glumac may sit down with Prime Minister John Horgan, who is uniquely familiar with BC Hydro’s file, and devise a way to direct BC Hydro’s stubborn bureaucracy to do the right thing instead of the right thing in Buntzen.
“Scott Simpson, Port Moody.”
Add Comment