update: Project changes
Following feedback from residents, we have modified the proposed changes. Rather than fully restricting access to the lanes, we will only restrict left turns from Sherbrooke Street into the lanes (to block eastbound traffic). Residents will still be able to turn right into the lanes from westbound Sherbrooke Street.
This adjustment aims to discourage hospital-related traffic from using the lanes as a shortcut to Highway 1, while maintaining local access and allowing for waste pickup.
While these changes may not be as effective as the original design in fully preventing short-cutting, we believe they strike a balance between reducing through-traffic and preserving neighborhood accessibility.
After completion of the project, we will monitor traffic flow and assess if further restrictions are needed.
Project Background
City of New Westminster Engineering staff have been communicating with representatives of the Lower Sapperton neighborhood to explore options for traffic calming as construction on the current phase of Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) nears completion. Over the past couple of years, these neighbourhood representatives have engaged directly with many community members on various potential traffic calming measures and reached strong consensus on a neighborhood plan. The City received the neighborhood’s proposal and reviewed it in detail with a transportation consultant. The intent of the plan is to limit opportunities for hospital-related traffic to shortcut through the streets of Lower Sapperton.
As the current phase of hospital construction approaches completion, Fraser Health Authority (FHA) and its design-build contractor, EllisDon (ED), have begun work on the streets surrounding RCH, including Sherbrooke Street. This presents an opportunity to incorporate traffic calming measures into ED's ongoing work on Sherbrooke Street. Implementing these measures now will minimize disruption and help limit costs for the City while establishing new traffic patterns in line with the upcoming changes to hospital access.
The City supports the neighborhood’s desire to limit short-cutting between RCH, Braid Street, and Highway 1, and plans to implement all of the measures proposed by the community along Sherbrooke Street in the coming months.
Project Details
The following changes will be made:
- Access to Kelly Street from Sherbrooke Street will be prohibited for all traffic except bicycles and other small mobility devices. Access to the 400 block of Kelly Street will be from Major Street only, with cars parked facing southbound on both sides of the street. Traffic can exit out to Sherbrooke Street.
- Access to Fader Street from Sherbrooke Street will be prohibited for all traffic except bicycles and other small mobility devices. Access to the 400 block of Fader Street will be from Major Street only, with cars parked facing southbound on both sides of the street. Traffic can exit out to Sherbrooke Street.
- Left turns on to and off of Garrett Street will be prohibited at Sherbrooke Street. A median will be installed on Sherbrooke Street to reinforce this restriction.
- Left turns on to and off of Wilson Street will be prohibited at Sherbrooke Street. A median will be installed on Sherbrooke Street to reinforce this restriction, similar to what was in place several years ago.
- Access to all lanes between Kelly Street and Rousseau Street will be prohibited from Sherbrooke Street except for authorized vehicles (specifically City waste collection vehicles). This restriction will be posted on new signs at Sherbrooke Street. Drivers will be able to leave their garages/parking in either direction, but must enter the lanes via Major Street. Waste collection will remain as it is today.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the current plan for restricting access to the back lanes from Sherbrooke Street, and how will garbage collection and resident access be affected?
- The current plan prohibits access to the back lanes from Sherbrooke Street to prevent the lanes from being used as an alternative to streets like Kelly Street and Fader Street. Since the lanes are quite narrow, no physical barriers will be installed; instead, signs will be placed to prohibit entry from Sherbrooke Street.
Garbage collection vehicles will be exempt from this restriction to ensure waste collection continues without disruption. Drivers will need to access the lanes via Major Street to comply with the signage, but residents will still be able to exit their homes through the lanes in both directions, maintaining access to Sherbrooke Street or Major Street.
Please note that operations for streets and lanes north of Major Street will remain unchanged at this time.
- What is being proposed at Wilson Street and Garrett Street?
- Medians will be installed on Sherbrooke Street to reinforce the no-left-turn restriction to and from Garrett and Wilson Streets.
These medians aim to reduce shortcutting traffic between Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH), Braid Street, and Highway 1. Residents traveling from Brunette Avenue can still turn right onto Sherbrooke Street and then right again to access Wilson and Garrett Streets.
The medians will be similar to the one that was previously located on Sherbrooke Street at Wilson Street but was removed to accommodate hospital construction work.
- Why are you treating Fader/Kelly Street differently than Wilson/Garrett Street? Can you also install a median at Fader and Kelly Street similar to Wilson and Garrett Street?
- There will be an entrance to RCH on Sherbrooke Street just east of Fader Street. If we install a median (similar to Wilson/Garrett Street), shortcutting motorists could still use Fader Street and Kelly Street. To prevent this, we are prohibiting access from Fader Street and Kelly Street.
- Why are you not considering limiting left turns off Sherbrooke Street to residents only or residents only during 3-6pm?
- Resident-only restrictions using signage would be extremely difficult to enforce and would not likely address the short-cutting issue.
- The proposed changes will impact my travel time.
- We understand that these changes will require residents to adjust their driving routines within the neighborhood, and we acknowledge that some may find this inconvenient.
Neighborhood traffic-calming initiatives often involve balancing trade-offs between vehicle accessibility and creating quieter, safer streets. These changes are designed to redirect hospital-related traffic onto Brunette Avenue and East Columbia Street, reducing its impact on the residential streets of Lower Sapperton.
- Did an engineer review the proposals submitted by the neighborhood?
- Yes, City Engineering staff reviewed the proposals in detail with a transportation engineering consultant.
- I wasn’t part of the community discussion. Why didn’t the City conduct proper public engagement?
- The City has received requests for traffic calming from Lower Sapperton residents over many years. In response, City staff suggested that the community work collectively to develop a neighborhood traffic-calming proposal.
Since then, neighborhood representatives have led a process to engage a large number of community members, discuss various traffic-calming options, and build consensus on a plan. The City received this community-led proposal, reviewed it in collaboration with a transportation consultant, and agreed to implement the community's recommendations for managing traffic access from Sherbrooke Street.
We understand that a large number of neighbourhood residents participated in the meetings organized by community members. We also understand that some residents may not have been part of the earlier discussions, whether due to recently moving to the area or being unaware of the neighborhood-led process. However, the proposed plan is designed to address key neighborhood concerns by reducing short-cutting traffic, particularly between Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH), Braid Street, and Highway 1.