Michael V. Pratt
Michael V. Pratt
A New Vision for Transportation
Almost half of the Township of Langley’s residents commute to work within our municipality or the City of Langley, and another quarter commute to Surrey, per the 2011 National Household Survey. Further, just over a third of people who live in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and the eastern Fraser Valley commute to Langley for work. Our community has added thousands more residents and jobs in the last decade, and so it is clear that we need to make it easier for people to get around within our own community, improve connectivity to our neighbours, and contribute to reducing the environmental impact of our commuting patterns.
We need to have a Council dedicated to getting the Township - one of the fastest growing municipalities in the Lower Mainland - the transportation investments it needs and deserves. We need to be more active in securing investment by being proactive and working with partners at all levels so that other cities in Metro Vancouver don’t take advantage of the Township’s taxpayers.
It's time we had a vision for a community that can get around easier, safer, with fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and much more reliably.
A Plan for the Township’s Future:
Proactively Working Towards a Better Transportation Network
-
Immediately begin work on a new, progressive Master Transportation Plan with a priority on multi-modal accessibility. This Plan should have a strategic timeline that complements both the new Transport 2050 plan as approved by the Metro Vancouver Mayor’s Council, as well as the new Township of Langley Community Plan to be completed by 2025.
​
-
Ensure that the transportation improvements we implement are financially sustainable, increase overall reliability and safety for all travellers, and reduce the environmental impact of our commutes.
​
-
Now that SkyTrain will reach the Langleys within the decade, more Township residents need to have access to reliable, safe, and fast public transportation. An immediate priority will be the planning and implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line along 200th Street between Downtown Langley and Maple Ridge, as well as RapidBus along 208th Street between Brookswood/Langley City and Walnut Grove, as well as exploration of the feasibility of a RapidBus line between Aldergrove/West Abbotsford and Willowbrook.
​
-
As part of the new Master Transportation Plan, revisit the existing Truck Routes within the Township and work with the necessary partners locally and in higher levels of government to determine long-term solutions to the issues that Township residents have been raising for years, including the Fort Langley Truck Route, Fraser Highway improvements in Aldergrove, and the 16th Avenue Truck Route in South Langley.
Improvements in the Short Term:
​
Transportation Improvements That Cannot Wait
​
-
Immediately begin exploring the feasibility of bringing public transportation to the Gloucester Industrial Estates and working within the new Transport 2050 plan to improve access to currently underserved areas.
​
-
Explore with Staff the best strategy to speed up the completion of crucial routes within Willoughby, including 202nd Street, 76th Avenue, and 74th Avenue.
-
This should include exploring the feasibility of introducing phased development within the Township, especially in Willoughby, in order to ensure priority sections of infrastructure are completed. This phasing could be accompanied by incentives in order to facilitate the development in these areas.
-
​
-
In order to facilitate the implementation of the recently approved Metro Vancouver Transport 2050 plan, immediately work with the relevant partners on a redesign of 200th street from Maple Ridge to the future SkyTrain stations in both the Township and City of Langley to build a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, which would provide a similar level of service to light-rail for a substantially lower cost and with completion possible much quicker.
​
-
Identify suitable routes for immediate construction of improved active transportation and micro-mobility lanes, improving the safety of pedestrians, active transportation users, and drivers alike. This will also assist with the chronic congestion issues we face in getting around the Township.
​
-
Dovetailing with the improved investments in pedestrian, biking, and other active transportation infrastructure, implement a micro-mobility program within the core areas of each community within the Township of Langley, giving residents options in how they accomplish their daily activities.
​
-
Immediately work with carshare providers to bring their services to the Township. By making use of public lands and facilities and designating parking stalls for these service providers, we will increase the number of options for Township residents in how they get around, and reduce their household expenses by making it easier to live with fewer vehicles, if they wish. This also has a direct and positive environmental impact in our community, which is in the long-term best interests of all of our residents.