It is increasingly looking like there won’t be a permanent truck route along Third Avenue.
District of Squamish staff and consultants have eliminated the Third Avenue option from their long-term truck route recommendations that they will soon present to council.
Since early spring, the district and Urban Systems consultants have studied and consulted with residents and stakeholders to determine the best options for a permanent truck route through downtown Squamish to waterfront industries and have come up with a series of recommendations.
They held an open house about the options on Nov. 16 at the Squamish Seniors’ Centre that was attended by about 40 residents.
In the short term – during the next five to 10 years – the recommendation presented at the open house is to continue the existing truck route down Loggers Lane.
The benefits of continuing to use this route for now, according to the information presented at the open house, include that it will have little impact on the environment and has limited costs associated with it. It is recommended the Loggers Lane route be improved at its intersections and that council consider enhancing sidewalks and crossings, and removing parking along the route.
Three longer-term proposals remain for council to ponder: A Pemberton Avenue bridge crossing route, which could link with future developments and has the least impact and requirements; A Westminster Street bridge crossing and a Seventh Avenue connector, which could be paired with a future dike.
Third Avenue is not recommended.
“The one thing that I have consistently heard is there are very few people who preferred Third Avenue,” said Laura Princic, District of Squamish engineer.
“Because I think most people see it as going through the middle of downtown and being an established residential area.”
Other concerns gathered from residents and stakeholders so far include that the truck route not negatively impact businesses, schools, the Squamish Estuary or nearby properties, Princic said.
The next steps are to provide draft recommendations to council in December then a final report will be prepared.
For more information on the Downtown Truck Route Study go to squamish.ca/yourgovernment/projects-and-initiatives/truckroute.
