Big Night at City Council

Sounds like the political drama yesterday was all at Langley City Council. Both papers report on several sticky issues navigated by Mayor Peter Fassbender and the gang on Douglas Crescent:

- Here's an overview of the meeting (Advance).

- Nary a soul on City Council supported City staff's push for a median on 208th Street. That kills that idea (Times):

"Medians are fluff and expensive. Spend it on signalization," Hall said.

Head engineer Gary Vlieg said medians are good design practice and even if a light went in at Grade, staff would still recommend to council that a median be put in between 48 and 47 Avenues to "channel traffic."

Had the median been put in, at least 10 homes would have been severely impacted, causing them to only have right in/out access to their driveways. Council's decision was a victory for impacted homeowner Gary Dawe, who let out a 'yes' from the chamber seats after the decision was made.

He presented a 160-signature petition opposing the medians. Several other residents along 208 Street also spoke out against the median.

In the review of what to do at Grade Crescent, staff plan to look at a light, a roundabout and even the highly contested one lane in each direction idea, as well as the right in/out only option. A proposal will be brought to council in the fall or spring 2010. A review of the speed limit on 208 will be part of the proposal.

Vlieg said there are no plans to close 46A Avenue, only the extended median to prohibit left turns.

There have been 38 crashes in five years at Grade Crescent. Of those, 20 involved injuries. The crash rate is eight times higher than the provincial average for intersections.