New Westminster, BC – In December 2016, the Cities of New Westminster and Coquitlam formed a joint task force to undertake work relating to the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s (MoTI) Brunette Interchange Project. The Brunette Interchange Project is being advanced by MoTI as part of its 10-year transportation plan which includes improvements on highways throughout BC, including the Lower Mainland.
Since the task force was formed, the mayors, select councillors and staff from each city have met to review and discuss in detail each of the Brunette Interchange concepts proposed by MoTI. The task force has advanced its work in a constructive and focused manner, resulting in a letter to MoTI which identifies jointly supported principles and objectives that need to be considered moving forward, and offering commentary on the options proposed.
“We’re pleased to be working with the City of Coquitlam to advance the Brunette Interchange project,” said Mayor Jonathan X. Coté, City of New Westminster. “Our main goal throughout the process has – and continues to be – to work together with MoTI to recommend solutions that would work best for both cities and the region as a whole.”
Over the course of the their work, task force members participated in a bus and walking tour of areas that would potentially be impacted and served by a reconfigured interchange so they could better understand local interests before submitting their letter to MoTI.
“The Joint Task Force identified many common interests, the most important of which is the need to find a common solution to what has historically been one of the most challenging interchanges along the Highway 1 corridor,” said Mayor Richard Stewart, City of Coquitlam. “We are optimistic the work the Joint Task Force was able to achieve will provide some assistance to the Province and we look forward to continued collaboration as we work to take this from a concept for discussion to a funded and committed project.”
Co-chaired by the Mayors of Coquitlam and New Westminster and consisting of two councilors from each city, the task force was supported by their respective senior engineering/transportation staff. The task force looks forward to working with MoTI as planning for reconfiguration of the Brunette interchange advances.
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Contacts:
City of New Westminster
Lisa Leblanc
Transportation Manager
604-515-3786 or
City of Coquitlam
Kathleen Vincent
Communications Manager
604-927-3019 or