Mountain Highway proposal sparks pushback; petition launched

A proposal to reconfigure a North Vancouver highway is not sitting well with locals.

Dozens of residents have signed a petition to put a stop to a motion that would change Mountain Highway from two lanes southbound, one northbound, to single-lane each way.

Petition organizer Cheryl Atchison says if this happens, any minor obstacle like a stopped bus or a fender-bender would lead to severe backlog.

“It does not make sense,” she said. “It doesn’t create any type of flow, and I just feel that it’s the wrong project. It’s the wrong thing to do. “

Atchison says the change threatens to disrupt the lives of hundreds of daily commuters. She says there are already major issues with single-lane traffic northbound, as there are often traffic delays that lead to gridlocked roads.

“I don’t think the changes that are being proposed are going to be helpful in any way, and I do believe that council needs to take a look at reversing what’s happening right now,” she said.

Atchison says she thinks two lanes southbound is more practical and wants more studies done on what would make the most sense for the community.

The proposal headed to the District of North Vancouver council aims to improve safety and mobility along Mountain Highway. According to the proposal, the corridor is an important connection for families travelling to and from Ross Road Elementary School and Eastview Elementary School. The proposal also finds the corridor has the second most overall pedestrian- and cyclist-involved crashes in the district.

The proposal is scheduled to be discussed during Monday night’s council meeting at 5 p.m.

The petition can be found here.