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Walnut Grove residents protest truck route changes

People showed up with signs and a petition at Township information meeting
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Lorne Walper, Colette Ghattas, Rosette Ghattas, Marilyn Walper, Nuha Ghattas, Betty Nelson and Gene Nelson were part of a group protest the Township’s plan to make 216 Street north of Highway 1 a designated truck route. They brought colourful signs to a Township-held information meeting on proposed truck route changes in North Langley at the Langley Events Centre on Monday night. Miranda Gathercole Langley Times

With construction underway on the $59 million 216 Street Interchange project, a group of Walnut Grove residents are continuing their campaign for a ban on truck traffic on the interchange’s northern exit.

Several people showed up to a Township-held public information meeting on truck route changes to North Langley at the Langley Events Centre (LEC) on Monday night (June 19) wearing protest signs.

The drop-in meeting detailed the Township’s plan to add designated truck routes on portions of 216 Street, Rawlison Crescent and 240 Street, while removing the designation from areas in Fort Langley.

Several people walked around inside the LEC wearing bright orange and pink signs that read, “Families before trucks on 216th” and “Walnut Grove lives matter. No trucks,” while others manned a booth outside to gather signatures on a petition.

“We simply see this as moving their problem to Walnut Grove — nothing is solved,” resident Linda Nash told the Times. “…The overwhelming thinking is that 192 (Street) is the ideal location as it would not have the health and safety impacts.”

At a council meeting in May, staff said that regardless of whether 216 Street is designated a truck route, trucks will still be able to use it to access 88 Avenue. Having a designation will, however, make the street eligible for MRN (Major Road Network) funding from TransLink for maintenance.

An environmental study completed in January by Trinity Consultants on behalf of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure concluded that the project “is not expected to result in significant air quality impacts due to near-roadway proximity.”

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Ken McRae and Gene Nelson man a table outside the Langley Events Centre during a Township information meeting on truck route changes in North Langley. A number of people who are opposed to a truck route along 216 Street north, showed up to the drop-in event wearing protest signs. Miranda Gathercole Langley Times
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Nuha, Colette and Rosette Ghattas were part of a group protesting the Township changing 216 Street to a truck route during an information meeting at the Langley Events Centre on Monday. Miranda Gathercole Langley Times